


What Matters is the Soul

by Silencium1



Series: The Things That Matter [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Male Chara, Male Frisk, Pre-Undertale, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is male, Undertale Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-04-21 20:45:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 74,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14293095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silencium1/pseuds/Silencium1
Summary: You fell asleep in your bed at home, and woke up in another bed, made of golden flowers. You don't know how you got into the world of Undertale, but there is a more pressing situation.What is wrong with your Soul?





	1. What Matters is Your Soul

“Ugh,” you groan in pain as you come into consciousness. Your entire body feels sore for some reason that you can not explain. You then open your eyes.

 

“Ack!” The light from high above assaults your vision, prompting you to slam shut your eyes. This time, you allow your sight to adjust to the brightness. You look down, in thought, and then ahead. Suddenly, you bolt your vision back below. You aren’t in your bed, like you last remembered before sleeping.

 

Instead, you are on a bed of golden flowers.

 

You quickly jump to the ground next to it in surprise and shock.

 

“What the heck, what the heck, WHAT THE HECK?” you repeat.

 

You notice some other things that aren’t quite right from when you last remember. For one, you feel smaller, as if you were younger. If you had to take a guess, you were roughly in your seven-year old body. Another thing was that you were wearing a red shirt with golden yellow stripes, with blue jeans and black shoes.

 

When the panic subsides, you take a look around the room you were in. Light filtered in from a hole above the patch of flowers, with some pillars around, and an entrance to the east. Oh. Oh! Oooh! You realized where you were.

 

You were in the Underground. Or, to be more specific…

 

You were in UNDERTALE itself!

 

You have to put in some effort to not squeal in excitement. You can ask yourself how this happened later, as there’s a certain murderous flower slash formerly dead prince you have to meet, so you walk to the entrance, and go through it.

 

There he is! You can barely contain yourself as you walk towards him. You hear Your Best Friend start to play.

 

“Howdy! I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower!” he starts.

 

“Hello there Flowey,” you playfully reply. He acts as if he didn’t hear you.

 

“Hmmm. You’re new to the Underground, aren’t ya?”

 

“Meh, can’t be worse than the things I’ve seen,” you say.

 

“Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!” the world flickers into black and white.

 

“See that heart? That is your Soul, the very culmination of your being!” then Flowey stops and just stares at your Soul, and you take a better look at it. “Hey, buddy, that isn’t how a Soul should look.”

 

He is indeed correct. A normal Soul should look solid and have a gentle pulse of light. It should not look as if it were glitching pieces of it in a left-to-right fashion horizontally. It should also not look as if one touch could make it glitch out of existence. On the plus side, you’re glad it is red.

 

After a few more seconds of staring, Flowey recomposes himself, and gets back to his spiel, “Your Soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain enough LV. What’s LV stand for? Why LOVE, of course!” Nope, no Levels Of ViolencE for you. “You want some LOVE, don’t you?” Like you thought to yourself, but nope. “Don’t worry, I’ll share some with you! Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white… “friendliness pellets”. Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!”

 

Like any sane Undertale player, you dodge the the bullets, saying in a bored monotone, “Oh no, I missed them.”

 

“Hey, buddy, you missed them,” no duh, “Let’s try again, okay?”

 

You dodge the next two waves, in which Flowey puts on his sinister face.

 

“You know what’s going on here, don’t you?”

 

“Yup.”

 

“You just wanted to see me suffer. DIE.” You are surrounded with bullets.

 

“Nah, I just don’t want to risk losing my Soul forever, seeing its condition right now. I like living, thank you very much.”

 

When the bullets nearly touch your Soul, they disappear, and Flowey is hit with a fireball. You then see Toriel walk into your vision.

 

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a- wait, what’s wrong with your Soul, innocent one?” Toriel questions you, a hand (paw?) pointed to your Soul. You shrug.

 

“I don’t know, maybe you  _ Soul-d _ ask it?” you say nonchalantly. Toriel looks confused for a second, but then started laughing.

 

“Oh my, you are a funny child. Anyway, I’m Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I shall take you through the catacombs. Please follow me.” And then the Fight ended, and you follow her through the Ruins entrance.

 

* * *

  
  


You enter the Ruins, and immediately see the SAVE point, dashing to it.

 

*Knowing that you are in your favorite game fills you with nostalgia… and Determination.

 

Huh. Your SAVE point text is different from the game. Maybe it tells you what is currently giving you Determination? Whatever, you can ponder that later.

 

“Welcome to your new home, innocent one. These are puzzles, ancient combinations of diversions and door keys. Adjust yourself to them.” Yes, you’ve played the game scores of times, you can pretty much say EVERY piece of dialogue by heart at this point.

 

You quickly solve the next puzzle, and are confused as to why the sign for dialogue even exists here. You then go to the dummy room.

 

“When you encounter a monster, you will enter a Fight.    
While you are in a Fight, strike up a friendly conversation. Try stalling for time with this dummy.”

 

Walking up to the dummy, you enter the Fight. You sigh at the sight of your glitchy Soul, but get on with the Fight.

 

“Hello there. One might think you are one because of what you possess, however, I bet that I’m a bigger  _ dummy  _ than what you are. But a  _ mannequin  _ wish all he wants,” you state, and you can hear laughter in the background. The Fight ends.

 

“Oh, my. I don’t know where you got those,” Toriel wheezes out from laughter.

 

You walk into the next room, and spare the Froggit. When you get to the spikes, Toriel stops.

 

“I was going to let you try this one on your own, but… take my hand.”

 

Wanting to prove yourself, you quickly speed around her, but when she tries getting you, you turn around and smile at her, and do the unthinkable.

 

You moonwalk through the puzzle perfectly.

 

It is evident on her face that she was baffled at your ability to do such a dangerous puzzle with such risk yet with ease.

 

“I  _ spike  _ with my little eye that you thought I was going to hurt myself. I would  _ route _ -er see  _ west _ -er or not you can make it through as well.”

 

After a bout of giggling, Toriel swiftly makes it through the puzzle.

 

“That was very dangerous, my child. However, I am happy to see that you made it through safely. Now, shall we proceed?” You nod your head, and walk to the next room.

 

“I was going to test your independence in this room, however, I believe that the last puzzle proved that you are capable of doing things on your own. However, there are some things I must attend to, so I will have to leave. I’m going to give you a cell phone, so you will be able to contact me whenever you want.”

 

“Ok, *Goat Mom*,” you say cheekily. She gasps.

 

“Did you just say, “Goat”, mom? Would it make you happy, for you to call me ‘mother’?”

 

“Yes and yes.”

 

“Well, if it would make you happy, call me whatever you like. Well then, I was going to tell you to stay here, but I have a feeling you will go off on your own, so I propose this to you; if you can find my house before I can find you, I will get you a reward. How does that sound?”

 

“Yes!” you loudly say, not caring that this seems a bit out of character for her, but oh well.

 

She leaves you alone, and the moment she’s out of sight you sprint out of the room and towards the SAVE point.

 

*The thought of winning this competition fills you with Determination.

 

Before moving on, you go to the bowl of candy, and take one piece of candy, because you don’t want to be rude. You might have done a few incomplete genocide routes (Darn you Sans!), but when on a pacifist, you take only one.

 

You speed through the Ruins, because you know all the Spare methods and puzzles by heart. When Toriel asks you which flavor you prefer, you say cinnamon, and ask if it’s for your prize, in which she said why she asked was going to be for you either way.

 

You arrive at the three rocks, and politely ask the third rock if it could move to its pressure plate and stay on it until you leave the room, and it complies.

 

Once you enter the room with the block of cheese, you notice the cheese wasn’t there, and neither was the SAVE point. You straighten yourself, resolved to get the cheese there as soon as possible. The SAVE point popped into existence, and you go to it.

 

*The resolve to make sure that mouse gets some cheese one day fills you with Determination.

 

Proceeding forwards, you run into a ghost, but you notice right away that it wasn’t Napstablook. You take a closer look at it. Huh. It appears to be who will become the Mad Dummy. You ask it to move out of the way.

 

“Move out of the way? No! Why should I let a human, of all things, through? No. No! NO! Human! I shall do what I want! And what I want is your Soul!” A Fight is initiated.

 

You think about what you need to do. Oh yeah. It possesses a dummy by the time the game happens. Wait. If you are fighting who becomes the Mad Dummy, then that should mean that you are in the  _ past _ , some time before Frisk falls into the Underground. You are technically a precursor to him. The timeline is going to be royally screwed. However, you can’t stay on that right now, as a certain ghost needs to become a dummy first.

 

*Angrablook is blocking your path

 

You decide to anger it with ghost puns. It does not look amused. You tell it that it should go live in something like itself, such as a dummy. Its attacks get erratic but stronger. You finally offer it to look for a dummy, or else you’ll have your turn indefinitely. It is filled with anger, and you wait… and wait… and wait. You finally end your turn. It seems to have had enough of your bullcrap, and leaves the Fight.

 

You go to the Spider Bake Sale, glad you have enough for both items available. These will be perfect for Muffet, if you ever encounter her in Hotland. You then breeze through the remaining puzzles, and arrive at Toriel’s house right when she leaves it. You both notice each other at the same time, and you give her a smug grin.

 

“My child! I did not anticipate that you would get here in so little time,” Toriel states.

 

“Well then, you can call me  _ Sir Prize _ , because I think I earned the prize, though I,  _ Sir Mise _ , that you owe me?” you smugly say.

 

“Heeheehee, I do suppose I owe you that much. I will give you your prize in a bit, though I think you should rest first.”

 

Toriel enters the door, while you first go to the SAVE point.

 

*Knowing you won the competition fills you with Determination.

 

You enter through the door, and smell the scent of cinnamon and butterscotch in the air.

 

“Surprise! I made you Cinnamon-Butterscotch Pie! Though it needs to cool down first, little one. For now I shall lead you to your room,” and with that, you follow her to the room.

 

“Here you are, a room for yourself! Hmm, do I smell something burning? Please make yourself at home,” she says, running off to the kitchen.

 

You immediately go to bed, and fall into a dreamless sleep. You wake up to an unholy smell, of two things that might smell heavenly if their scents weren’t intermingling. You were rested anyway, so you got out of bed, and looked at the two new items on the floor. You go to turn on the light.

 

On the floor are two slices of pie. One was cinnamon-butterscotch, and the other was what appeared to be snail. Wait… snail?! Awesome! And you didn’t need hard mode either! Luckily you grew up on French cuisine, so you already had the ‘acquired’ taste. You immediately put them into your inventory and leave the room, heading to Toriel.

 

“Ah, there you are, my child! I see that you have slept well, and found out your reward. I am happy to have you here, I have already prepared a curriculum for you. It may be surprising, but I have always wanted to be a teacher. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising, but still! What have you come out to ask me?”

 

“How long can I stay here?” you ask.

 

“As long as you want, my child, though why’d you ask?” Toriel replied.

 

“Just wondering.”

 

“Oh! That reminds me. Just may I ask, but what is your name?”

 

“John Andrews,” you reply.

 

“John Andrews? Well, that’s a nice name. Now, let’s get started on your first lesson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you need a better image of what John's Soul looks like, look up the character themes for Glitchtale Season 2, that's how I imagine it to look


	2. What Matters is the Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have your first lesson, and come up with a plan

You are deciding on leaving the Ruins at the end of the week, so you must be careful on how you plan to carry out your plan. In the meantime, you start on your first lesson with Toriel, which happens to be about the properties of magic.

“Mom, may I ask you a question?” you ask, wanting to have it be finalized.

 

“Yes, what is it?” she answers.

 

“Is there any magic related to… music?”

 

“Can you elaborate on that, John?” Toriel asks, a confused look on her face.

 

“Like, is there any magic that can make music play out of nowhere, like in a Fight or specific location?”

 

Toriel holds that expression for a few more seconds before realization sets in.

 

“Oh! You must be talking about the Themes,” she then puts back on the confused look, “Wait, how would you know of those? It is a very rare ability, even among Monsters, with Home only having one left.”

 

“I’ve been hearing the Themes ever since I met Flowey, and even right now I here it,” you state to her, glad to get that out of the way.

 

“Well, I think that since you have such a rare gift, we should start with that, though I may be of limited help,” Toriel suggests, going over to the bookcase, and returning with an old book, named _Unique History and Magics of the Underground_. You watch as she scans the index, and turns to Chapter 31: Themes.

 

_Little is known about the magic of Themes, other than the fact that the ability to hear them is a very rare gift. Of what is known about them, however, it is known that when one is heard, it is a highly concentrated area of magical energy. When a Fight gets enough magic for a Theme, it is always the instigator whose theme is played, though most Monsters share the same Theme, unless it is a sufficiently strong monster, such as a Boss Monster, then they will have a unique theme, and in that case, they never share the exact Theme, though they may take elements from one another, in a case of the Leitmotif Rule. Another thing to note is that a Monster’s Fight Theme is always a different version of their ‘normal’ Theme. Some final things to mention are that the fabled Angel in the prophecy will have a Theme named ‘Hopes and Dreams’, though no one knows how it will sound, while Monsters should be wary of certain Themes, that tell the opposite of the Angel’s Theme, of potential destruction (See: Megalovania and Megalo Strike Back), and anyone can hear the Themes of the two individuals (The Angel and the Player) and will immediately recognize the names._

 

After the main part of the lesson, Toriel asks you to demonstrate knowledge that you are able to hear Themes, with you using Home (Music Box) as an example. Luckily, it is one of the few pieces of Themes that everyone can hear. The last lesson of the morning is about Souls, and their relation to Themes (you think this is going to be a, heh, Theme for today).

 

“Okay, little one. From what you gathered from the book, where do you suspect a Monster’s Theme comes from?” Toriel quizzes you.

 

“Their Souls,” you answer.

 

“Very good. Now, do you know why these Themes emanate from our Souls?” she then asks.

 

“No,” you pretend to not know. She doesn’t know, but you actually do. Monsters’ bodies act as their Souls as well, and they are almost entirely made out of magic, though she doesn’t need to know that you already know, as it would be very strange for a human who has ‘just arrived here’ to already know things about Monsters. Toriel repeats what you thought to yourself.

 

“Now, this is a bit personal for you, but I would like you to practice pulling out your Soul, so that you can listen to your Theme, because I know that human Souls have highly concentrated amounts of magic, though don’t be disappointed if you can’t do it for a while.”

 

This was what you’ve been wanting to do ever since you bought Undertale, so you nod excitedly, and motion for her to continue.

 

“Alright, I’ve only taught a few of the humans who came through here how to pull out their Soul, mostly so I can heal them quickly should they get hurt,” Toriel trails off a bit, as if she was lost in a bad memory. She then shook her head in a fashion of clearing away those memories, and continued, “They told me that it was easiest to do by holding their non-dominant hand over their chest, imagine strings connecting their fingers and Soul, and slowly pull their hand away, while projecting a mental image of their Soul coming out. However, some find other ways easier, but I will have you try the first way,” Toriel finishes, and you place your left hand over your chest.

 

Closing your eyes to help concentrate, you imagine the strings connecting your fingers with your Soul,  and surprisingly, you feel as if something in your chest has string wrapped around it. Slowly pulling your hand away, you notice something is off. Your hand stops a few inches away, and you feel the imaginary ‘strings’ become taut.

 

“Mom, I think something is wrong. The strings became stretched tightly, and I can’t project it out,” you say, frustrated.

 

“Well, try again, and if it doesn’t work, then you may try again later,” Toriel gently responds.

 

You try twice more, becoming more frustrated. Toriel asks you to stop, but you knit your brow in determination. You must try one more time! On the last attempt, you try something risky; you keep trying to pull, and the strings can’t stretch any more, but you give it one more tug.

 

The strings snap.

 

What happened next got crazy. Even from a 16-bit style game, you know that a normal Soul should look like it’s smoothly sliding out of one’s chest when it is revealed. Your Soul, being as strange as it is, did not do that. Instead, you felt something in your chest disappear, and your Soul instantly ‘glitched’ into existence a few inches in front of your chest. In the commotion, you accidentally start a Fight with Toriel.

 

When you get back into focus at what is at hand, you notice that there is a Theme playing, though after after a few seconds, your eyes widen as you realize what it is.

 

Megalovania is playing.

 

Toriel is stunned at the Theme. You run out of the house.

 

* * *

  


You run through the Ruins, not paying attention to where you are going, just as far from the house as you could. When you finally get to a dead end, you go into its corner, curl into a tight ball, and start crying until you are all dry of tears.

 

Relaxing your muscles, you slowly uncurl, and just sit there. Why did it have to be you? You are aware of the fan theories that ‘Megalovania’ is actually the Theme of the Player (not Frisk or Chara), but you never seriously thought that. You weren’t a bad person (even though you attempted the Genocide Route a few times just to see how well you’d do), you just happened to be stuck with the Theme of someone who is considered evil.

 

You turn things over in your head, but then you remember a few things; the book mentioned that those who hear the song _should_ be wary, so some people who don’t know of the meaning of the Theme won’t have any reason to fear. The second thing you remember is that only those who initiate the Fight will have their Theme play, so as long as you aren’t the one to start, you are technically safe.

 

“Howdy!” a cheerful voice says next to you.

 

“Ugh.” you groan, not in the mood for whatever he’s got in store for you.

 

“That’s not how you’re supposed to greet someone you know,” Flowey says in a mock offended voice.

 

“Just tell me what you want, and then scram, or else I’ll start throwing out some plant puns,” you say.

 

“Say, you remind me of one of the stories in Toriel’s house. Specifically, that one you were reading about the Themes. I would take it that you are the legendary ‘Player’, the book mentions, I presume?” he says in a voice that screams ‘I’m right, and you know it deep down’.

 

“I guess so, so what?” you cock an eyebrow at him. You then realize that you still have the book on you, so you pull it out of your inventory, “you mean this book?”

 

“Yes, that one!” he shouts. You turn to Chapter 13: The Angel and the Player.

 

_There is a lesser known and almost completely forgotten part of the Prophecy of the Angel, of an unseen entity only known as the Player, who guides the Angel through the Underground. They are seen as a purely neutral force until they make a decision on how to achieve the Prophecy’s fullest extent, which will not be explained upon in this chapter. The Player will know more secrets about the Underground than others believe they know. However, when the Player’s sins become too great upon the Angel, they are yanked out of their world by an unknown force, and placed in the Underground three years before the entrance of the Angel, and the Player will no longer have direct control over the Angel. The Player’s decisions during these three years will show what they truly desire for the Angel, and then they shall be judged. The Player will have two proxies assigned to them by the unknown force, to overlook what they do, and to judge their actions. What the proxies tell the unknown force will determine on whether or not the Player stays. The only hint on what will happen to the Player, should they stay, once the Angel arrives is one phrase; “Those who can remember the past are Determined to Save the future, and possibly even more”._

 

You close the book, deep in thought. When you don’t answer for a minute, Flowey summons some friendliness pellets and shoots them past your face to get your attention.

 

“Now that you’ve got that out of the way, I have a deal for you,” Flowey says in a persuasive way, “If you give me information about what will happen when the so called ‘Angel’ appears, then I won’t spoil your plans for the next three years.”

 

“Hmmm, if I accept, can you make it only weekly, because there’s only so much information I know about him. And what would be ‘the future’,” you question.

 

“Yes. And, considering you’re the Player that I’m talking to, I bet you are wondering why I’m not telling you to fight Asgore, aren’t ya?” he asked, smirking.

 

“I’m glad you aren’t, but yeah, I’m sorta wondering,” you say.

 

“Well, I was going to Load to try getting your Soul again, but it failed. YOU are the one in control of the timeline now. Another thing is the condition of your Soul. I think that no one will be able to take it, even if you don’t Load, considering how glitchy it seems. I’d consider that you talk to the Royal Scientist about that.”

 

“Well, you told me more than I thought you would be willing, so I will accept the deal. I will leave here in a week, you will get the first piece of information then,” you smirked, “In the meantime, if you sabotage my plans, then I will get Sans, capture you, and put you in a pot that I personally fertilized.”

 

“Deal. And gross,” Flowey says, holding out a vine. You shake it. You can hear padded feet getting closer.

 

“Well, looks like it is time for you to _leaf_ . I’ll be _vine_ if you stay, so that you won’t have to pop in to ask me _flower_ we doing. Just don’t become the _root_ of problem, because I doubt that you’ll have the _stamen_ -a to keep screwing with me.”

 

“You’re even worse than the Smiley Trashbag,” is all he says before burrowing into the dirt.

 

“John? Are you there?” Toriel asks.

 

“Yeah. And I’m sorry for running off,” you shrug.

 

“No, it is my fault, for pushing it onto you,” she replies.

 

“No, I was the one who pushed to keep doing it. I just want to go back to your house now.”

 

“Yes, my child. Let’s go.”

  


The rest of the lessons of the day (after lunch) are mostly things you’d normally see in a school, like math. When night comes, you go back to your room to sleep, but you just keep tossing and turning about what you talked about with Flowey. You decide to just go to Toriel. When you don’t find her in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom, you know the last place she’d be.

 

You walk down the stairs to the basement, and sneak to the room where one would usually find Flowey, but stop at just before entering it. You can hear Toriel talking to who you definitely know to be Sans.

 

“If a human ever comes out of this door, could you please, please promise something? Watch over them, and protect them, will you not?” you realize that she is talking to Sans. After a minute of silence and holding your breath, you hear a muffled answer, and even though you can’t make out the words, you instantly know that he accepted, because Toriel’s face lit up in happiness. She thanked him, and started going back. You immediately bolt back to the stairs and into your room. After the excitement is out of your system, you fall asleep easily, content with knowing that you helped Frisk just by existing there.

 

* * *

  


The week is painful, with mostly lessons, though the end of the week finally arrives. You have already written a letter, and a handwritten copy of Chapter 13, as you are taking the book.

 

_I’m sorry, Mom, but I have to leave._

 

_It is not because I don’t love you, but I have some very important things to do outside the Ruins. I wish that I didn’t have to explain it to you in this letter, but in a way it would hurt more for us to have to do it in person. I overheard you and your friend outside the Ruins, and that you had made them promise to protect me should I leave, and I trust that I will be in good hands. Do not overly worry about me, for I intend to return once my work is done. It is not much, but I am leaving a copy of a page of the book to give you an idea of what I have to do. I must prepare the Underground for the Angel, and it will be painful, but I have a feeling that if it works, we will all be free._

 

_I’m not going to say goodbye, because that would sound like we won’t see each other again. Instead, I shall say see you soon, because I have faith that we will see each other again._

 

You leave the letter and copy on the bed and sneak out of the house and into the room Flowey usually talks to you after the Toriel fight, and he’s waiting expectantly.

 

“Well?” he questions.

 

“The Angel sort of looks like Chara,” you tell him. He looks a bit saddened (can he even do that?), but then he brightens up, thanks you for the information, and burrows. A new occurrence happens, with a SAVE point appearing right above where he disappeared into. You immediately touch it

 

*Knowing that you are going to make things better for Frisk fills you with Determination.

 

You open the door to Snowdin, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Megalovania Intensifies*
> 
> Oh wait, wrong scenario
> 
> *Megalovania fades a bit*
> 
> Much better


	3. What Matters is that You Know Your Proxies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out who your proxies are

The first thing that hits you as you leave the Ruins is how cold it is, though you are glad you found a coat before leaving. Strangely enough, the snow doesn’t feel either cold or warm, as if it was only there to be there. You go to the bush to your left, and sure enough, the camera is there. You give it a wave, and go on your way.

 

You step over the heavy stick, and as usual, it breaks a few seconds later. A few steps later, you hear footsteps, knowing that they are Sans’. You can see the fence with too-wide of bars to stop anyone. When the front half of your feet are on the bridge, your legs feel like they’ve become lead, and loud footsteps echo through the forest, until they stop right behind you.

 

“ **H u m a n.**    **D o n ‘ t   y o u   k n o w   h o w   t o   m e e t   a   n e w   p a l?   T u r n   a r o u n d   a n d   s h a k e  m y   h a n d.”**

 

You did as you were told, and shook his hand. A fart resounded throughout the forest. You burst out into laughter when it ends.

 

“Oh my gosh, that was SO freaking hilarious, Sans!” you tell him.

 

You both freeze when you realize what you had just said.

 

“i didn’t even tell you my name yet, kid,” he says, “so how do you know my name?”

 

You are rapidly saying crap in your head, so you do the first thing that comes to mind; you attempt to Load your Save File. With your mind, you reach out into the space. After a few seconds, you feel a familiar time and place, as if it were a physical thing in your mind. With all of your being, you push it like a button. With no afterimages, you find that you are back at the end of the Ruins, and you immediately go back out of the Ruins into Snowdin Forest, and do the same things as before.

 

Sans walks up to you again, “ **H u m a n.   D o n ‘ t   y o u   k n o w   t h a t   i t ‘ s   r u d e   t o   l e a v e   w h e n   s o m e o n e   a s k s   y o u   a   q u e s t i o n?”**

 

You blanched at the question, “Wait, you remember?”

 

“yeah, i remember. now, answer my question.”

 

You nervously look at your feet as you answer, “Can I make a rain check on that? Or in this case,” you smile, “a snow check?”

 

Sans chuckles at the joke, “ok, but you better explain what the heck just happened when we first met.”

 

You feel nervous when you tell him, “I Loaded my Save File.”

 

Sans looked perplexed, “you what your what?”

 

You feel confused, as you feel like he should have basic knowledge on this, “I Loaded my Save File, meaning I took us back to a point in time that I Saved,” you tell him, “But I thought only I and one other had the ability to remember through Loads.”

 

Sans gives you a skeptical look, and you sigh, “Look, I’m not a big fan of repeats, but in order to get the best ending for this whole deal, we should try to keep things consistent, all right?” you hold out your right hand.

 

After a moment of consideration, he says, “deal,” and he grabs your hand. You feel a sharp zap, and you yelp. Your hand feels tingly from the zap.

 

“A joy buzzer?! Seriously, Sans?!” you shout at him, but he only chuckles. You reach for your Save File, and press it, finding yourself back in the Ruins, and you do the exact same things you did in the first try.

 

“heheh, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s ALWAYS funny. anyways, you’re a human, right? that’s hilarious. i’m sans. sans the skeleton, but you already knew that, right?” Sans winks at you, and you give a soft laugh, “i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but... y’know… i don’t care about capturing anybody. now my brother papyrus…”

 

“He’s a human-hunting fanatic?” you mock guess. Sans looks taken aback, but quickly recovers.

 

“yeah. actually, I think that’s him right over there. go through this gate thingy. yes, go right through, he made the bars too wide to stop anyone,” he leads you through the gate.

 

“quick, behind that conveniently-placed sentry station,” he tells you, and you comply. Once you are behind it, you realize what he said, and look at where the lamp should be, only to see that it is not. Huh. Guess the lamp was placed there more recently in Undertale’s timeline.

 

You feel as if the timeline is getting screwed over, because other than Sans replacing ‘lamp’ with ‘sentry station’, the meeting between the two brothers went the exactly same way as in the game. You go to the east, but Sans stops you first.

 

“you owe me an explanation once we get things all sorted here. in the meantime, can you allow papyrus to see you? he’s been kind of down lately, and seeing you might just make his day. don’t worry, he’s not dangerous. even if he tries to be,” you nod, “thanks a million, i’ll be up ahead.”

 

Before you leave the area, you feel the familiar chilliness of being Checked outside of combat, that you’ve felt only a few times during your stay at the Ruins. Sans is looking directly into your Soul right now, you bet, and sure enough, you hear a wince by Sans behind you, and he releases it in a low whistle, and barely hear him say “what’s wrong with your soul, kid?” before walking off.

 

You hurry to the dimensional box, take out the gloves, and then put them on. You will need these throughout Snowdin, and not only for the cold, but for… other uses. You walk over to the SAVE point.

 

*Wanting to help Papyrus fills you with Determination.

 

You go to the area where you are introduced to Papyrus, who doesn’t know what he’s looking at at first, but then finds out by Sans telling him. You walk down to where you know you will encounter Doggo.

 

“Did something move? Was it my imagination? If something WAS moving... For example, a human... I'll make sure it NEVER moves again!” he says as you walk in front of his station, pulling you into a Fight. You remember blue stop signs.

 

You wave a stick you found on the ground, and when it’s his turn, you stay still. You were aiming your torso a bit to the left of where he swung, so the attack passed through your right shoulder first, feeling like you were moving your shoulder as fast as you can, so you knew you were safe.

 

That was until the attack hit your Soul.

 

The pain that came out of it was indescribable. The closest you could describe was being hit in the center of your chest by a high-velocity brick, specifically with the corner. You let out a scream of pain, and fall to the ground, whimpering. Somehow, the Fight ended the usual way. You slowly rise, confused, and just accept the fact that the battle was over.

 

The game doesn’t show it, but the location Sans tells you about blue stop signs is roughly one mile away from Doggo. You meet up with him there, and he gives you a worried look.

 

“shi- uh, i mean crap. i’m sorry, kid. had i known that, i would have made sure doggo had made sure not to attack you.”

 

“Well, at least I know to stay away from blue attacks. Period,” you respond, “though can you make sure the rest of the unit doesn’t use their blue attacks?”

 

“well, i can try, though i won’t promise you anything,” Sans replies, “and from now on, i’ll try to keep a closer eye-socket on you,” he winks at you, and you giggle at it.

 

You continue on, and get to the electric maze. You’ve seen it so many times that you moonwalk through without a shock. Papyrus seems rather impressed.

 

In the next area, you buy three chocolate Nice Creams, and pretty much inhale the first one. At Ball, you get the red flag, in which you knew how to get it easily; through sheer determination. You go over to the word search, and complete it. When Papyrus asks you which is harder, and you reply that Jumble was harder. You walk over to the next area with the SAVE point and spaghetti.

 

*Your plan on what to do with the Tough Gloves fills you with Determination.

 

You walk into the next area, and when you fight Lesser Dog, you pet it until it could see Snowdin Town. You then have the Fight you’ve been wanting the whole time in Snowdin.

 

“The wifi here sucks,” Jerry says, coming up to you with Ice Cap and Snowdrake. Time to put the Tough Glove to action.

 

“For your first turn, you ignore Ice Cap. The next turn you punch Jerry as hard as you could in the face, and start laughing. For some reason, Ice Cap takes that as more ignoring, and Snowdrake thinks that you were laughing at its joke. You hit Jerry a couple of more times, and then steal Ice Cap’s hat. You do not notice Snowdrake’s attacks slam into your Soul.

 

The last thing you see before everything goes black is your Soul glitching out of existence right in front of your eyes.

 

* * *

  


“kid? kid! oh god, what am i going to tell her?” is the first thing you hear as you come back into your conscious state. You groan in pain.

 

Sans stiffens and looks down at your limp body.

 

“what? but… how? you should be dead!” he says in shock.

 

“Your guess is as good as mine, bonehead,” you reply. Though, just to be sure, you try to summon your Soul. With a bit of effort, you manage to pull it out. Well, glitch it into existence is more accurate for how it looks. Sighing in satisfaction, you focus, and it glitches back into the spot it takes in your chest, “It was still worth punching Jerry in the face.”

 

“heheh, yeah, but you should be more careful with your soul from now on. we don’t want to risk another accident, as that might not happen again,” Sans says, sighing, “well, don’t wanna keep you here long, be seeing you.”

 

You pass through the remaining puzzles and Canine Unit with ease, making sure to protect your Soul and told Papyrus that you left the spaghetti. It’s not until after Papyrus leaves the Gauntlet of Deadly Terror that Sans tries to talk to you again.

 

“hey, listen, i tried to talk paps into not fighting, but he’s not taking no for an answer. if you can get past his first attack, can you please talk him into not fighting?” you nod in agreement.

 

“I wasn’t planning on actually Fighting him. Just spare until he stops, right?” you say, and Sans nods, and leaves.

 

You walk through Snowdin to Papyrus, not bothering with the inn, though you make a quick stop at the riverperson’s boat to check something. After a few minutes of waiting, you figure that it’s probably not the right FUN value for the Wrong Number Song. You continue to Papyrus.

 

Papyrus says his usual spiel of wanting to befriend you but then remembers his wish to become a member of the Royal Guard, and starts the Fight. Nyeh heh heh! is playing in the background. You spare him.

 

“SO YOU WON’T FIGHT. THEN, LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED 'BLUE ATTACK',” Papyrus says, and then starts summoning blue bone attacks.

 

As expected, when the bones passed through your Soul, you start taking damage. Huh. It appears that each ‘slice’ of your Soul has individual invincibility frames, so you lost most of your health by the time the first bone passed through. After the second bone took you to one health, Papyrus stops attacking, and has a horrified look on his face from the possibility of getting hurt while standing still in a blue attack, in which you and the rest of the internet would agree that he should never have that look on his face.

 

With what remaining consciousness you can retain, you reach for your Save File, and press it. You slam into complete consciousness, though you are mentally fatigued. You decide to try again at the Papyrus battle, hoping that Sans would have some way to help you.

 

What you did not expect to happen was Papyrus trying to find you in the fog, and when he saw you he bolted to you, and pulled you into a hug.

 

“HUMAN, I AM SO SORRY THAT I DID THAT TO YOU. HAD I KNOWN THAT, I WOULDN’T HAVE TRIED TO USE MY BLUE ATTACK, BUT THAT IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN ACTIVATE MY BLUE MODE. I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME FOR MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO YOUR SOUL.”

 

“It’s okay, Papyrus, I forgive you. You couldn’t have known that that would’ve happened. I still think you are the greatest, because a lot of people wouldn’t be willing to admit their mistakes so easily should they feel like they have hurt someone. Though I’ve got to ask, can we be friends instead?”

 

Papyrus perks up at the sound of your forgiveness, and then his face lights up like the sun when you asked to be his friend.

 

“BY RULES, YOU MUST BE CAPTURED. BUT I CAN’T SAY NO TO GETTING A NEW FRIEND. AND FRIENDS DON’T CAPTURE THEIR FRIENDS, EVEN IF THEIR SUPERIORS DEMAND IT. SO HUMAN, I DECLARE US TO BE FRIENDS!” Papyrus says triumphantly.

 

You can tell by the ambient lighting of the Underground that it is getting dark, so you ask Papyrus if you can stay for the night, in which he gladly agrees. You then remember something.

 

“Papyrus, you remember the battle?” he frowns, but nods, as if it were an unhappy memory for him, in which it was.

 

“YES HUMAN, WHY DO YOU ASK?”

 

“Well, do you remember me disappearing and walking back through the fog while feeling as if we haven’t fought yet?” another nod, “Well, that’s because I took us back to the moment I was in front of the inn. In other words, I’m a time traveler, and by extent, you and Sans are, as you both will remember, while no one else will.”

 

“YOU’RE A TIME TRAVELER? WOWIE! I’VE GOT A TIME TRAVELER AS A FRIEND!” he knit his brow bones in realization, “THOUGH THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY I REMEMBER WALKING PAST DOGGO’S STATION THREE TIMES EARLIER TODAY.” Papyrus exclaims.

 

“Yeah, though I’d like you to keep it only among the three of us, as I don’t think other monsters would take too kindly to a time traveling human,” you say, and Papyrus nods in understanding.

 

“THOUGH SINCE WE ARE FRIENDS, I THINK THAT I SHOULD KNOW YOUR NAME. THEREFORE, HUMAN, I ASK YOU: WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” Papyrus asks.

 

“My name is John Andrews, and it’s nice to meet you on a name-knowing basis,” you coolly reply.

 

“ALRIGHT THEN, JOHN, WE SHALL GO HOME, AND I’LL MAKE US SOME SPAGHETTI TO CELEBRATE OUR NEW FRIENDSHIP!” he proclaims, and, lifting you onto his shoulders, you both go back to the brothers’ house.

 

“Where will I sleep, then?” you ask.

 

“YOU CAN SHARE MY BED WITH ME, AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS PUTS HIS FRIENDS FIRST!” Papyrus responds.

 

“heh, looks like you two were _bone_ -d to become friends,” Sans says, appearing right beside Papyrus, and the latter let out a groan as you started giggling. Papyrus opened the door. One step in, he stopped.

 

“WHAT IS THIS YELLOW STAR DOING ON THE TABLE?” he asks, and you look where he is staring. Sure enough, there is a SAVE point on the table with the pet rock. You jump off of Papyrus’ shoulders and touch it.

 

*Content with finding both of your proxies fills you with Determination.

 

“It’s a SAVE point, and now I’ll be able to return this point in time as long as I don’t overwrite it. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who could actually use it for that purpose,” you reply nonchalantly, and sure enough, when Sans and Papyrus try touching it, their hands pass right through.

 

“WELL THEN, I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD GET YOU READY FOR BED. NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus states.

 

You couldn’t agree more. With all that happened today, you were exhausted. Papyrus gave you clothes for you to change into for bed, and when you are done and your day clothes are being washed, you went into Papyrus’ bed, with him holding you close, and fall asleep without hesitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was considering on making Alphys the other proxy, but decided against it because it would be too cruel should a Genocide Route happen


	4. What Matters is a Surprise or Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple of surprises show their faces

You wake up in Papyrus’ bed feeling well rested. When you rub the remaining grogginess away from your eyes, you look at who is beside you. Papyrus. Huh, despite being a skeleton, he was quite comfortable to sleep next to. Shaking your head and smiling, you get out of the bed as smoothly as you can. From what you can tell from the window, it would be dawn at about now.

 

You sneak out of Papyrus’ room, and go down to the SAVE point. It still says the same message as last night, so maybe it just says what first gave you the determination to create the SAVE, and uses the same memory to generate some determination? You’ll have to think more about this later.

 

Thinking about some of the fanfictions you’ve liked, what usually happens if one stays the night at the skelebros’ house is that you’ll spend at least the morning checking on the puzzles, and you’re excited about that part. You tended to like those chapters, because they were just a small break from the rest of the animosity that is the plot of Undertale.

 

However, this is not one of those times. Well, it shouldn’t be. It can’t possibly be. Shaking your head, you turn your attention to your surroundings, so you can see what is different about the skelebros’ house to keep yourself occupied.

 

The first thing that catches your eyes is the sock that is usually beside the television, and you’re glad for the familiarity of it. The familiarity goes down when you notice that there are no sticky-notes attached to it. Familiarity returns in full force when you notice the quantum physics joke book and remember the pet rock. A smile comes across your face, and you settle into the couch.

 

“heya kiddo, mind coming out here with me?” you turn your head to the right, and see Sans standing at the front door, apparently having come inside. You frown, but nod, “alright, follow me, I know a shortcut.”

 

You follow, but are confused by his apparent change of behavior from the game. Then again, a lot of things could’ve happened between the game and the original version of now. Still, you follow him around the corner.

 

Where you did not expect to end up was his workshop, a version of It’s Raining Somewhere Else playing in the background. Absentmindedly, you hum to the tune, and Sans just chuckles.

 

“I know I have the Theme Converter around here somewhere, but that is not the reason I brought you here,” Sans says, and motions to the machine in the corner. You drop your jaw, as you recognize it.

 

The machine in the corner is the machine that is covered up in the game. And you were staring right at it. It wasn’t even broken. Sans gives you a grin. You feel like this is very out of character for him, even at this point of the timeline.

 

“let’s get something out of the way first; you’re an anomaly, aren’t you?” he asks you in a voice that doesn’t have malice, but more of a got-to-confirm-my-suspicions kind of way. You nervously nod, but to your surprise, Sans doesn’t look pissed. In fact he looks more interested, “alright, just had to be sure. not many people get the opportunity to study such a willing participant.”

 

You are creeped out. You were expecting a “Megalovania intensifies” moment plus a bad time, not this. You then ask “Wait, if you are a scientist, then why do you have a job as a sentry?”

 

“i’m a scientist by hobby, and my trade is along the lines of studying anomalies and quantum mechanics, though I’ve been working on a pet project for the past few months regarding time. paps is the only other one aware of this project.”

 

You shake your head in disbelief, saying “But why trust me?! I’m an anomaly! You shouldn’t trust me! I can rewind time on a whim, so I’m the world’s biggest wildcard!”

 

Sans just gives you a shrug, “you seem like a good kid, and you’ve done nothing so far to prove as a serious threat. you even taught jerry a lesson,” he winks, “besides, if what you say is true about me and papyrus being the only others who could remember your rewinds, then we could keep you in check,” he pauses, “i also see that you make papyrus happy, and i can’t deny him that.”

 

Sans straightens, then returns to the matter at hand, with “so, as i was saying, this machine should allow us to see anything wrong with time, though at the moment it still performs its original functions of detecting anomalies and assessing their threat level. in a few weeks, it will be able to detect any potential temporal anomalies, and give us a reading of the timeline.” he finishes. You open your eyes widely at the revelation.

 

The motivation, his open trust to you, and his willingness to show you such an important device.

 

This is mere weeks before he would lose motivation and trust to finding out about the Resets. Or, to be more specific, due to Flowey’s Resets. You are weeks from the downward spiral that will (or might) become Sans’ life.

 

Sans gives you a curious look, and says “that expression you’re wearing. it’s the look of someone who knows more than they let on. well, i won’t pry any more right now, though i will ask you more later,” he walks to the stairs and goes up them, with you following. On the first step, you trip, though you catch yourself.

 

“I never liked stairs,” you say, smirking, “They are always either up to something or getting down to business,” Sans starts laughing.

 

“where did you get the second part? it’s rare for anyone to tell me a joke or a new piece that i haven’t heard of yet.”

 

You smile, “I’m always thinking of jokes to tell for when certain situations arise.”

 

Sans slowly stops laughing, and you both hear the banging of cookware in the house. It sounds like Papyrus is already starting on breakfast.

 

Papyrus looks at you when you walk in through the door.

 

“THERE YOU ARE, HUMAN JOHN! I WAS GOING TO MAKE YOU SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR BREAKFAST, THOUGH I AM HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES IN FINDING EVERYTHING AT THE MOMENT. SAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?” he asks you, and you nod. Maybe you could salvage anyone’s taste buds in the future.

 

It turned out that he was trying to make pancakes. They somehow were slightly more brown than you would have liked with slightly still-gooey insides. All in all, you’d consider it a success. Next time you cook with him, maybe you could introduce him to ‘the ancient art of reading recipes’.

 

“JOHN, I AM GOING TO CHECK ON MY PUZZLES VERY SOON. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME WITH?” Papyrus asks, in which you nod, not wanting to miss the opportunity to watch puzzles be recalibrated. You both leave the house, with you following him from right behind.

 

* * *

  
  


As it turns out, puzzle recalibration is both interesting and boring. It is boring in the ways that you have no freaking idea how the heck any of them even work, but it is interesting to watch them do what they are supposed to do. One thing you do learn is that they have to either test the calibration themselves or hire someone from another area of the Underground to test it out. You are the one who is testing all of the puzzles Papyrus maintains.

 

“OK, I’M SURE THAT YOU REMEMBER THE RULES TO THIS ONE.” Papyrus tells you at the colored tile puzzle, and you nod. As it turns out, he accidentally put it onto the lowest difficulty when he activated it, which always churns out that simple path. Another thing is that the machine next to it that looks like Mettaton’s box form is a part of it, but Papyrus just shaped it into that.

 

He activates the machine, and the tiles shift to life, shifting faster and faster until a new path was chosen, never using the same path twice. You swiftly make it through, and you give Papyrus a high five.

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! YOU MADE IT IN RECORD TIME. THIS CALLS FOR CELEBRATORY PASTA ONCE WE GET HOME!” he exclaims.

 

“I think that… sorry to say, but it appears human-stoppability is rather low,” you tell him, and he looks saddened, but you quickly add to it, “but it was very fun to do, so keep at it,” and his face brightens up.

 

“OF COURSE! I SHALL IMPROVE UPON MY PUZZLES, FOR THE GREAT SHALL ALWAYS STRIVE TO BECOME EVEN GREATER,” Papyrus triumphantly proclaims.

 

“Hey Papyrus, who’re you talking to?!” a voice shouts from behind Papyrus. You both freeze.

 

Oh no, oh no, oh no. Even through a video game, you know whose voice it belonged to.

 

And you weren’t hoping to hear who it belonged to until at least tomorrow. Papyrus spins around.

 

Undyne, in full armor minus the helmet, is standing behind him. He visibly starts sweating.

 

“U-UNDYNE? I’M JUST TALKING TO… A FRIEND. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” he asks.

 

“I’m just checking up on the Canine Unit and their…” she grits her teeth as she says it, “puzzles,” and stops gritting her teeth. “Anyways, I’m glad you are making new friends. Would you like to introduce them to me later?”

 

“I DON’T THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA AT THE MOMENT,” you blink at that, surprised he didn’t try to have you two meet as soon as possible.

 

“And why would that be?” Undyne asks in a suspicious tone.

 

You peek around Papyrus and glance up at Undyne, and she looks down at you. You lock eyes with her for a second. Her eye opens in shock, then narrows in anger. You squeak and start running away from the two, Run! playing in the background. She is yelling after you.

 

“YOU BEFRIENDED A HUMAN?! ARE YOU MAD? THEY ARE THE FINAL SOUL TO OUR FREEDOM!” she shouts, and you faintly hear Papyrus try to convince her, but you are too far at that point. You just keep running, and by the time you run out of energy, you are at Sans’ sentry point, who is not there currently. You go behind the station and curl up in fear and exhaustion.

 

It takes a few minutes to calm down, and when you do, you feel a nudge on your shoulder. When you look up, Sans is looking down at you.

 

“what are you doing down there, kid?” he asks you, and you just shrug. He then sighs.

 

“me and paps just talked with undyne. it took a bit of convincing, but she’s agreed to at least hear you out. i think you should feel flattered, because this is just about as close to sparing a human as she’s willing to get,” he tells you, and you numbly nod and take his hand to stand up.

 

“Are you going to show me a shortcut?” you ask him, and Sans just chuckles.

 

“you are getting to know me, john,” he tells you, and you follow him. You both end up in front of their house, and walk in through the front door.

 

Undyne is glaring at you, and despite the fear running through you, you straighten yourself in defiance of your fear. That appears to have impressed her a tiny bit, as if her glaring swords turned into glaring daggers. But glaring pointy objects to you still counts as glaring pointy objects.

 

“So, spit it out; why should I allow you to live?” she questions you.

 

“I do not mean the monsters any harm,” you calmly state. Undyne looks unconvinced, though you continue, “though I only harmed one monster during the entire time, and that wasn’t for dust. I believe that monster deserved it, though.”

 

Undyne looks pissed, but holds it in, just barely, stating, “Which innocent monster did you hurt?!”

 

“Jerry,” you calmly tell her. You can pretty much see the anger caused by your previous statement deflate from her. She seems a bit embarrassed by saying ‘innocent’ monster.

 

She takes a deep breath, “Okay, I’ll give you that one. But that is not enough justification!” she quickly adds.

 

“I also don’t think that my Soul would be able to be used,” you tell her.

 

Silence.

 

“What makes you think that?” she asks you, unconvinced.

 

“Because of this,” you say, pulling your Soul into existence. Huh. It seems to feel more natural for it to come out like that for you the more you do it. Weird.

 

Undyne stares at your Soul blankly for a few seconds, and seems stunned by how it is, “I also am aware that a Soul should not look like that, in case you were going to tell me,” you tell her in a bored tone.

 

She seems lost for words. Sans then pipes up.

 

“i watched his fight with jerry yesterday. i should note that he took a few blows to the soul directly, even one with a fatal hit,” he says, and Undyne looks at you with an impressed look.

 

“You took a direct fatal hit to the Soul and SURVIVED?! How are you even alive right now?” she asks. You gesture to your Soul, but only after you Save.

 

“Try it yourself, though I’m kind of embarrassed to have had it happen in front of Jerry of all people,” you shudder. Undyne looks hesitant, and you can tell that she’s starting to buy the entire ‘unusable Soul’ deal.

 

“Are you sure?” she questions you, and you nod, though you tell the brothers to look away if they want. Even Undyne looks like she’d rather look away.

 

“Ready?” she nods, “Okay, just make it quick,” and you look away.

 

You feel two sharp hits against your Soul, and feel yourself begin to collapse, though something you notice before blacking out is your Soul reappearing in your chest.

 

You feel yourself come back to consciousness, and look up to Undyne, feeling less achy than the first time it happened.

 

“Sup,” you say to her in a nonchalant voice. She looks down at you, and she has her eye wide open with amazement.

 

“You’re still alive after that?” you nod, “Fuhuhu! Anyone who can survive that hit is pretty impressive in my book,” she says, “though that doesn’t mean that you’re completely off the hook,” you nod in acknowledgement, “In the meantime, I’ll be keeping my eye on you every day for the next few weeks, to ensure your intentions are what you say they are.”

 

She stands up, and looks at Papyrus, ands tells him that he is now in charge of keeping an eye on you whenever she’s not there, to which he ecstatically accepts, and then leaves.

 

Sans walks up next to you.

 

“well, how does it feel to have met undyne, not get skewered by spears, and even impress her a bit in the process?” he asks you.

 

“It feels good. Now I could technically roam at least Snowdin with more safety. It’s also better that I did it today, because I was kind of planning on doing it tomorrow by going through Waterfall,” you admit.

 

“well, i’m glad that it happened today, because I don’t want to risk you having to die through spears in the body,” he tells you, sighing.

 

“I believe that true death will only bring me back to my last Save, but even that would’ve gotten annoying for both you and Papyrus,” you say, also sighing.

 

You go back to the SAVE point, because you don’t want to go through with all of that again.

 

*Becoming acquaintances by impressing Undyne fills you with Determination.

 

Huh. It appears that if you feel massively determined in the vicinity of an old SAVE point, the new purpose will overwrite the previous message. Good to know.

 

You leave the house with Papyrus to test the rest of the puzzles, and the rest of the day flies by in a breeze, knowing that the Underground now has a bit more breathing room for you, and in three years for Frisk. You feel Determined at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided that it should be a while before Sans' discovery of the Resets, so as to make him more motivated. At this point, he does not know the cause of the deja vu from before John's arrival, because he and Papyrus only started remembering through once John entered the Underground
> 
> I also wondered; has anyone considered that Undyne might do a surprise inspection of the Snowdin Unit?


	5. What Matters is an Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get an explanation for how you got here, but only after ridding the Underground of a threat

Undyne keeps to her word for the next few days, checking in on you every day at the brothers’ house. For the past few days, you were only allowed to be in the Snowdin area, and if you have no incidents, then you will be able to go through Waterfall, though only with supervision, by tomorrow. You only hope that Murphy’s Law doesn’t apply here… or at the very least it is kept at the minimal.

 

Coincidentally, tomorrow is the next time you will give your information to Flowey. He told you yesterday when no one was looking to meet him in the room with the quiche, stating that “you obviously know where it is,” before popping back underground, with Papyrus walking up to you.

 

You wake up from your position on the couch, yawning. Yup, the last day of confinement to Snowdin, and you were going to the puzzles. Again. For the sixth time since you arrived here. Stretching, you sit up.

 

Now that you are awake, you can hear banging in the kitchen, so you wonder how the heck you slept through that. Shrugging, you go into the washroom to change, and then go into the kitchen, humming absentmindedly.

 

“GOOD MORNING, HUMAN JOHN. I SEE THAT YOU ARE READY FOR ANOTHER DAY OF PUZZLES, THOUGH I JUST NEED TO FINISH MAKING OUR BREAKFAST,” he tells you, and you nod. Ever since the pancake incident on the first day, you tried something simpler, like scrambled eggs. They ended up semi-decent, and you’re glad you technically can’t get human illnesses from the Monster counterpart.

 

Papyrus finishes making breakfast, and you hear Sans leave his room and shortcut downstairs, and joins you two to eat. You still don’t know how he can eat without visibly opening his mouth, and it feels too awkward to just ask him.

 

“HAVE YOU SAVED YET, JOHN?” Papyrus asks you, and you shake your head. The brothers have started to make sure you Save every morning for a just-in-case scenario, after a small misunderstanding with the Dogi the day after you met Undyne.

 

You reach across the table towards the SAVE point, and then finish eating your eggs. Slightly gooey, but better than the first time. Once the other two finish eating, you and Papyrus go out the door, and into Snowdin Forest.

 

A few days ago, you came up with the idea of using pressure plates at the start of his puzzles, which would deactivate when in the presence of a Monster, and will activate when an authorized Monster uses their magic to activate, that way, a monster could be there to capture potential humans. Currently, it’s going well, though Papyrus has been trying to calibrate his to allow you past, with limited success.

 

“Ack!” you yell as you feel electricity run through your body. You two have been trying for the past hour trying to fix a bug in the puzzle, though after Papyrus has showed you how to ‘program’ it. As it turns turns out, the coding of it utilizes a coding program similar to one you haven’t used since high school.

 

“Sigh, and I thought you knew you were doing,” a voice said, and your blood immediately boils in anger. Jerry.

 

“Well, maybe you should try it yourself?” you suggest, annoyance and malice dripping from your voice like venom.

 

“Why, though? It’s YOUR problem, not MINE.” Jerry declines.

 

You finally snap. He has been doing this all week to you, and needs the biggest lesson of his life, so you summon your Soul into existence, and will yourself to enter a Fight with him.

 

Surprisingly, it works, and everything fades to black and white, Megalovania playing in the background, glad for once about what it is. You take out your toy dagger (you left the toy knife where it was), which is blunt to the point of which it’s more of a beating weapon than a slicing weapon, and then dash to attack Jerry.

 

What you did not expect was the sound of a Blaster powering up and a beam appearing between you and Jerry. You instinctively back up, and both you and Jerry (you shudder) look at the source.

 

Papyrus has entered the Fight, with a bone baton, his eye glowing orange and blue, and for the briefest of moments, green. He is pointing the baton to between you and Jerry, and the blaster is pointed there. You open your mouth in awe.

 

“JOHN, I EXPECTED BETTER OF YOU,” he states, disappointed, “BUT SOMETIMES, YOU JUST CAN’T WIN. NOW, PLEASE STOP FIGHTING, AND LET’S RETURN TO OUR DUTIES.”

 

Like hell you were leaving empty-handed! But… maybe you can make him pay in another way, so you begin to do the unthinkable.

 

You begin to start one-upping Jerry in order to Spare him.

 

You might not want to Spare him, but you can tell that he HATES being Spared, so you want him to remember, and rue the day he tried complaining to you, so you keep one upping him.

 

Eventually, Jerry tires of the shenanigans, and Spares you, but you one-up him a few more times to get your point across before you Spare him back. You sigh deeply, then turn to your right.

 

Sans, Papyrus, and Undyne have their mouths open wide - well, Sans’ smile does its equivalent - in a mix of awe… and disgust.

 

“kid, i think you just did the impossible,” is all Sans says to you. Papyrus looks happily at you, and you know that it’s entirely from you ending it peacefully.

 

Undyne is another story.

 

“Did you guys see what he just did?! That was incredible; I didn’t even know that Jerry could be Spared. I thought he was dust, but then Papyrus stopped you. And that music, it was freaking epic! It sounded like Jerry was about to have a-”

 

“Bad time?” you say, and she just nods, “It’s supposed to sound like that.”

 

She pauses, then asks “Wait, where did it come from?” and you just point towards yourself.

 

“I’m the only one here who can make my Theme able to be heard by everyone when I Fight. I can also hear others’ Themes as well,” you add, smirking.

 

“Your Theme just sounds awesome! Well, kid, I’ve seen all that I need to. You’re now allowed to go into Waterfall, the first half of Hotland for your epic music, and the rest of Hotland for being able to Spare Jerry,” she shuts her eye, “and if you hurt ANY Monster there, I’ll find you, and beat the Hell out of you, because that’s what friends are for, right?” she says, and you straighten. She now considers you a friend.

 

“Okay, Undyne. But I’m going to be majorly disappointed if my Jerry Sparing doesn’t show up on T.V. tonight, because I want EVERYONE to know what I’ve done,” you say, smirking. Undyne just tosses back her head in laughter.

 

“Fuhuhu! Well, I’ll be seeing you later, punk!” she tells you, and runs off.

 

The rest of the day is spent on the puzzles, though you make a mental note to yourself to talk with Alphys about helping with the bug in the puzzles once you get to Hotland. In no time, you Save and hop onto the sofa, turning on the T.V. Mettaton is doing a news report in the suit he uses during the Bomb-Defusing puzzle.

 

“NOW, WE’VE GOT A NEWS REPORT JUST COMING IN. A LOCAL IN SNOWDIN VILLAGE HAS APPARENTLY DID WHAT EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE; THEY SPARED JERRY,” cue shocked gasp, “IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THAT JERRIES ARE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH, BUT THE MOST SHOCKING PART WAS THAT THE SPARER WAS NONE OTHER THAN A HUMAN,” another gasp, “EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE HUMAN WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO ‘TEACH THE JERRY A LESSON’, BUT A LOCAL PUZZLE-MAKER WAS ABLE TO PREVENT THAT, BUT THEN THE HUMAN STARTED SPARING THE JERRY,” it appears that there is a video playing from Sans’ perspective (he recorded?), and the report seemed to be coming to a close, “IS THIS REALLY WHAT THE HUMAN IS LIKE, OR WILL THEY SHOW THEIR TRUE COLORS SOON? FIND OUT LATER, AND TOODLES~” and It’s Showtime plays.

 

“well, you got onto the news, kid,” Sans tells you, and you smile.

 

“Now the Underground knows what I am capable of,” you turn your smile into mock evil with mock evil laughter.

 

“well, before i came in here, undyne told me that i have first watch of you tomorrow,” Sans informs you, “when you leave for tomorrow, meet me in the wishing room, and you could explore the caverns all you want,” You nod.

 

Well, today was rather exhausting, considering your battle with Jerry. You start to fall asleep, and feel a blanket go around you, your last thoughts being that you are sure you will have nightmares of Sparing Jerry for the next few weeks.

 

* * *

  
  


You wake up the next morning, Save, have a quick breakfast of cereal, then quickly leave the house, heading straight to Waterfall.

 

You climb through the sea grass where you usually first see Undyne, and sure enough, she’s starting her patrol. You can hear her move towards you, so you look up. Once she notices that it’s just you, she dismisses her spear, and waves in a ‘move along’ fashion. You hurriedly do the bridge seed puzzle, then hurry to the quiche bench.

 

As expected, Flowey is waiting for you, and you sigh.

 

“Don’t use the six Souls to fight the Angel; they’ll only rebel against you,” you tell him plainly, and he just nods.

 

“Before I leave, I’ve got to ask you something,” he says, and puts on his evil grin, “Will you come back if you die?” he starts laughing, and vines start wrapping around you, “because I saw what happened last week with Jerry and those other two idiots. You can’t die from a burst Soul, but what happens if you die for real?”

 

You hear footsteps coming near. Slippered footsteps. You smile.

 

“You win this round, kid,” Flowey tells you, unwraps you, then burrows into the ground.

 

“what’s going on, kid? you were taking longer than i expected,” Sans asks you, and you just shrug.

 

“Wanted to see what was over here,” you state.

 

He does not look convinced, but doesn’t press on, just walking away, and you follow him.

 

“so, what do you want to do? if you want, then we can go straight to hotland, though if you want to walk the entire way, then i’ll just shadow you, okay?” you nod.

 

“I want to walk the entire way,” you tell him, and Sans just grins widely.

 

“thanks for making my job easier,” is all he says, then he shortcuts away. Shaking your head, you continue on.

 

You walk through each room, reading each plaque. It turns out that each one also has a small illustration to help understand. It feels much better to read them with your own eyes than through a screen. You continue to where you first dodge Undyne. You see someone you thought you wouldn’t see.

 

Goner Kid.

 

Other than its usual lines of dialogue, there is nothing new, so you continue. Undyne arrives, looks at you, and nods, letting you pass, in which you do.

 

You get to the crystallized cheese room, and start feeling a nagging feeling where your Soul is, so you immediately go to the SAVE point.

 

*Wanting to discover where the nagging feeling is coming from fills you with Determination.

 

You walk to the next room.

 

You keep walking.

 

You keep walking.

 

You start running.

 

You’re now sprinting.

 

A few seconds later, you see something materialize in the wall.

 

A simple wooden gray door.

 

You skid to a stop, and turn to the left.

 

You know this door, though you’ve never come across it yourself in your own playthroughs, so you do the most logical (and funny) thing any Undertale fan would do.

 

You swiftly open the door and strut in like you owned the place.

 

You see a figure several meters away, and you walk right up to them.

 

“Hello there, Dr. W.D. Gaster,” you say to the figure.

 

“Gree̸tings, ͏Joḩn̵ And͡r̵e͝ws. ̨W̶elcom͡e͘ ̸t͜o̕ th͟e V͏oid. It'̴s͜ n̷i̷ce͜ t̵o f͟iņal҉l͝y m̶eet ͝y͠ǫu̶ i̡n̷ pe͡r͢so͞n.̷” Gaster replies to you.

 

* * *

  
  


You can’t believe that you are talking to the Man Who Speaks in Hands himself. The excitement is almost too much to bear.

 

“N̵o͡w, ̨J̨o̸hn,͢ ̷I ̢have ̴limi͡t͞e̕d̴ ţim͜e͘ to tal̛k,̛ bec̴aus͞e the ͝Author̴ doe̷sn͠'͏t ͢wa̢n͞t ͝t̸o ͝dr̢ag ͞th̵is chap̨tęr ̧on̕ ͟f̶or̸ tǫo͜ long.̛ he tells you.

 

You give him a confused look, looking around as if you would find someone else in the void, “Author? What do you mean?” Gaster looks as if he just remembered something that he forgot to explain.

 

“A̕h͜, ͟y̧es. The Vo̢i̢d,͞ o̶r ͜at lea͞s͞t this Vo̕id͝, is ̕o͏n͟e of͞ t͟h҉e ̢few͏ ̷p͏la͟ces ͞whe͠re̛ ̕t͜h̶e̢ ̵fo͏urth ̧wa̶l͡l c̴a̸n̸ be ͢bŗe͢a͟c̛hed͝,̶ ̕as̷ ̡a ̛m̶eans ̵t̵o provi͘d͘e m̕ore̸ ͜bac͡kgrou͏n͝d ̢kn̸o͟w͝l̵edg̷e.” he says.

 

“Really? We are in a fanfiction? I always imagined myself in one of my favorite fanfictions,” you state, then finally locate who you were looking for.

 

The Reader.

 

You begin to make stupid and silly faces at them with the reasoning of why not. Gaster just sighs, and turns to the Reader.

 

“D̨o ̕nơt͘ w̵orr͢y͝ abo͡ut̶ ͏him͜ d̢oi͘n͞g̷ t̛his͠ du͡ri̵ng̴ ̨t̢he̢ re͡st of t̢h҉e ̵st͟o̕ry. ͞O͢n͠c̛e he lea͢ves͢ th҉e Voi͢d̛,҉ h҉e w͏i͢lļ not̷ rem̛em̛ber͜ ǫr ̛b̸e a͢ble̢ to bre͟a͞c͜h͟ t͏he f͢our̶ţh wall ̨in͡ th̛is r͞e̕alm̕.” he tells the Reader.

 

“Aw, really? You just had to spoil my fun, now did you?” you pout, make a few more funny faces, then turn back to Gaster, waiting for him to continue.

 

“You̶ alread̛y ̵k͘n͡ow w̨hy y̸o҉u'ŗe͟ here̸,͏ ͏b̡u͜t̡ do you ̵k̷n̢o̡w h͠ow ̕y̛ou'̛re͏ ̡her̸e?͢” he asks, and you shake your head.

 

“Y͠ou ͜a͜r҉e͏ ̢h̕ere ͏b͡ec̷aus͢e I̢ ͠br͝oug̶ht͏ ͜you̶ ͡he͟r̶e. ͞F̷ro͘m y҉o̸u͟r͠ ̶o͢r̶ig̸in͟al ̵un̷i͠v̵erse̸ ̵t͡o ̛he͠re,͞ a var̷iant̴ ̕o͡f͟ ͝t͏h͝e ҉c͘oll͢o͞q͟uia̕lly ņa͟m̕e̡d̸ un̛iver͞s͞e ͟of҉ ͠'̴Unde̕rtąle'̢.̴” he simply puts. You gawk and him, then turn to the Reader.

 

“He’s the unknown force that was mentioned in Chapter 2!” you state to them excitedly, unsure if they have figured it out yet, but then turn back to Gaster, “Wait, you can pull people from different universes?”

 

“I a̴m ̴onę ͞of ͠ver҉y ͝f͟ęw ̢Ga͡s͟t̵ers͢ i͜n͞ ҉the̸ mųl̴t̴iv̶e̴r̴se ͞w̛h̢o̢ ̶c͝a͢n̶ ̧b̛r̶ing ̢ot̡he̛ŗs ͞f͠rǫm o͜ţh̨er uni͏vers͏es, ͜b̨u̢t̨ ̶a͝ş f͘ar͘ ͏as ҉I̕ k̡no̴w,̶ ͟I͢'̵m tḩe ̵on̡ly G͞aste͜r ͞who̶ c̷an͞ pu̴l͜l peǫple ̴acr̡o͞ss͢ th͞e T͟r̵ue ̸V̧oid.” he says.

 

You give Gaster a confused look, “Wait, what’s the difference between the Void and the True Void?”

 

He just sighs, and starts explaining to you, “Many̶ people ̡thi̢nk͞ t͡h̴a̸t͏ ͝n͡oth͡i̶ng͏ ̢c͘a͞n ͏e̷x̷ist͞ in t̕ḩe ͠v҉oi̢d͝, ̕w͜here we ͘are rig̴h͏t͘ ͞now͠.̨ ̡H̴ow͝ev̴er,̷ th̡at ̧is wr͘ong͝,͟ ͜because on̵l̴y one thįng c̨a̧n n̴at͏u̶r͢ąlļy͏ e͏xi͘st in̷ ͏m̛o͜st̢ ͠v͏oids ҉o͢f ̢th҉e͠s҉ę world͝s,̡ ̧a͘nd t̵hat is ͟D͠e͝t͟e͏rm͞in͞a҉t͢io͜n̨. ͝The ͡Tru̧e Vo͘i҉ḑ, ho͘w͢ever,̨ ̨separa͘t҉es ea̷ch ͢and e̷v͜ery͡ ͡u͠ņi҉ve͢rse̛ ̧t͝hat̸ ̢i͡sn'̢t̢ ̕simi̕la͘r e͠n̛ou̡g̷h̴, su̴c͞h̸ as͘ ̡thi̕s ̶uni͟v̡er̶se͞ an͡d̢ ̕yo̸ur̡ ̧own.” he pauses, then says “N̢ot͟hin͘g͠ ̕can҉ e̡x͠ist̵ natur҉a͠l͞l̵y ̵for ̢long̕ in̡ th̢e͠ ͞T͜r͜ue̛ ͢V͘oid͝, so̶ ̧I͏ used D͜ȩte̢r͢mi̕nat҉io͡n ҉t͏o ̧pu͜ll̶ you̵ ̷th̨r͢ou͡g͟h̡ i̵t̷. ̸I̕t͡ ͝to͜o͏k n͢e͜ar҉ly ąl͜l o̶f̵ ͏th͘e Dete̵ŗm̵i͡n̕a̶t̶i̶on̷ ̸in this ͡unive͢r͞s͘e͟'s̛ ̡Vo͏id ͠t̷ǫ b̨e ͢able͠ ̸t͘o ͠b̷reac͝h ͏the Trųe͘ ̕Vo̵id̛ ͞an̡d ̶pu͡l͜l͞ ̡y̕ou̷ thro҉u̢g̡h, bu̵t t̵he V̶o̡i̛d na͢t̷ural͠ly͟ ͏pr̛o̵d̡uc҉ęs͝ ͏Det̶e͞r͝mi̸na͡tio̢n, s͞o I̶ use̶d wh͜at͜ was ̧left̶ o͟f̧ ̵i̶t at ͡t͜he ̕t͘i͢m͞e ͢to͘ pla͟c̶e yo̷u in͠ ͢t͞he timeli͠n͏e̕ t҉o̴ ͢tw҉o̢ we͟ek͘s̕ a̷g̴o̴.͠ T̸h̛a̡t ̕is all ͠I s̶ha͟l̷l̴ tel҉l ̨y͠o͢u abo̢u̵t ̷t͜h͝a͠t ͠fo͜ŗ no͘w.͟” he finishes.

 

“Okay, but is there anything you can tell me about my Soul?” you say, pulling your Soul into existence, and hold it up for him to see. He just gives you a sad smile.

 

“I̕'m ͡s͘or͟ry,͡ bu̸t ͠I can͘'t te͟l͘l ͞yo̷ų t͏ha͝t right҉ now,̸ ͏for th͠at̛ ͢would b̷e͟ a̛ ͡spo͠il͞er. T̢h̡ough̛ I wįl̷l ap̢p҉ea̴r͜ ҉t͡o y͟o͟ų ̡afţe̵r͠ ̷y͡o͟u͏ ͟te̶l҉l ͝Do͞c̡t͝or ̧A̕lp̸hy̶s͢ abou̴t i̴t̨,̸ ͜an͜d the̡n ͡y̡ou͏ s҉ha̢l̵l know͠ t͞he ͢whole ͡t̵hing͡.͝”

 

“Oh,” is all you say, and you dismiss your Soul, looking at your feet.

 

“The͜r̡e ar͡e a ͢f͡ew̸ ̶m̵or̕e t̵hing̷s͢ ͝I m҉u̵s̷t̕ ͠tell͝ ̛yo̷u,̵ ̴b̛efor͘e ̸w̸e wrap̶ ̕t̵h̵is ̢up.” he begins, and you look up, “Firs͡t ̡of a̡ll̵, I do̸ ̸not c̶a̴r̴e̕ abo̵ut ҉w͟ho y̶o̕u cho͟os͠e͠ ͜t̛o ͝tell͞ abou̡t̵ y͝our a͘bility̕ ov̧er t̶im̧e. Yo̶u ̵ca̵n͞ eithe͡r̶ k̷eep it͝ ̷be̴t͏w͏een̢ thǫse̛ w͟ho̸ are͠ ̵a̴l͏rea͡dy ͡awa̡r͡e ͢o̧f̡ ͠th̕e̶ l̵o̕ops̸,̷ ̡o̴r̴ y͜ou can ͠br̡oad͘c̶as͘t ͞it ąc͝r҉o͟ss̢ ͡t͜he̴ ͞Und̕erg͠round.͜ A̶g͏ai͠n, ̧I do ͘no̡t ͝ca̧re͞. ͜Seco̶nd͠ly͏, ̨I ̴will begi͠n͜ t̛o ̢h͠a͝ve ̛yo̡ur̨ ̨pro̡xie͢s ̨c͡o͏mȩ ͜by t͜his ro͜om w̴eekl̢y ͝to ̢give̛ ͡re̶ports o͞n͡ ҉wh̢at ͞you'r̕e doin͘g.͟ T҉he l̸a͞st̵ ͟th̨i̢n͡g̶ is,̴” he takes a breath, as if this were going to hurt you, “Y̧ou̡ m͠u҉st͞ te҉ll y̷ou͝r͡ ̢p͘ro̢xi͠e̷s͝ of̶ your si͢ns as s͘o̧o̕n̢ ͘as ̕y̡ou̶ l͡eav̷e͠ ͢th͞is rơo͡m͜.̢”

 

You feel like the bottom of your stomach has disappeared.

 

“But, Sans will hate me for that!” you shout. You definitely know that Papyrus will forgive you, but it may take some convincing for Sans.

 

“If ̡y͡o͘u d̵o ҉no҉t҉ do̵ ͘i̢t̡ you҉rs͏elf, ̸t̶h̴eņ t͏he͘ Au̕tho̴r ̴wil̵l f͝or̴c͝e̷ ̴y͟ou ͟t͠o ͜do ̡i̴t͝, ̴ţho҉ugh̡ ͝y͟ou̸ w͟o͞n't҉ re̡member̸ me ̶te҉lling y̨ou ab̵o͘u͞t̢ ̷t͟he Author̡, bu̷t̕ ͞yǫu w̷ill̶ remem͘ber ̡m̷e pa͞ss̵in̶g on̷ ͡thei̵r thr̸e͠ąt͡.҉” he states.

 

You start grumbling, “Fine, I’ll do it!”

 

“V͟er̶y w̕el̛l͜, ͜we̛ ̵w͠ill҉ mee̷t ̡agai̡n.” is all Gaster says, and you head for the door.

 

You grab the doorknob when he speaks to you one last time.

 

“A͡l͟so,̢ ͞t̡e͠ll͘ yoųr pro̧xies, you͝ ̕kn҉o̶w̛ ͏th͜em͝ as̶ m͝y br͠ot͘h͡er҉s, ̶that͟ I͡ ͞say hi.” he says.

 

“Okay.” you tell him, and make one more silly face at the Reader, then scowl at a random place, hoping the Author is in that direction, before leaving through the door.

 

* * *

  
  


When you get to Sans’ prank telescope, you see him rushing towards you, eye sockets as dark as vantablack.

 

“kid, where did you go?! you were there one moment then disappeared.” he tells you, but you just grab him and tell him to take you to Papyrus, who was not working today.

 

“what? why?” he asks.

 

“I have something important to tell you two.” is all you say, and you both go to their house.

 

“JOHN? I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON YOUR WAY THROUGH WATERFALL?” Papyrus questions.

 

“I’ve got something to confess to you both, about my past,” you tell him, and they both look at each other, but sit on the couch. You begin to tell them of your sins, from when you played Undertale.

 

When you finish your story, Papyrus looks the same, but Sans’ eyelights have long since gone out.

 

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, but at least give me a chance,” you finish, looking down. Papyrus kneels down to you, and rests a hand on your shoulder.

 

“JOHN, DO YOU REGRET WHAT YOU DID ON THE GAME?” you shrug, “DO YOU NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN HERE?” you nod, “WELL THEN I SAY THAT YOU’RE FORGIVEN BY ME. IF YOU TRULY WANT THE BEST ENDING AND KEEP IT, THEN THAT’S ALL THAT SHOULD MATTER.” he declares. You smile.

 

You then look at Sans, “Sans?” you ask.

 

It appears that returning his eye lights takes considerable effort.

 

“killing papyrus, even if it’s in a literal game, can’t be overlooked, much less the near extinction of monsters,” he starts.

 

“Oh,” you say, looking down at your feet.

 

“as for forgiveness, i haven’t really decided yet. but, if you have really shown that you have truly changed as a person by our meeting at the judgement hall, i may consider forgiving you,” he finally says.

 

You bet that if this were any other version of Sans, then you would’ve gotten dunked on, but because this is your Sans, he’s willing to give you a chance to prove yourself.

 

“by the way, how did you get here then? to this universe?” he asks you, and you smile.

 

“Oh,” you say with a playful cheerfulness, “That? I was just dragged across the True Void by your older brother Gaster. He also told me to tell you two that he says hi, and that you two will have to report to him about me until the Angel comes,” you tell them.

 

The two brothers’ eye sockets widen with surprise, look at each other, then they look to you.

 

“he’s still alive? where is he?” Sans demands, unmistakable in his voice that he wants the three of them to be reunited in any possible way.

 

“Room 269, after the crystallized cheese with the SAVE point. A hallway not normally there with a wooden gray door will appear,” you tell them.

 

The both of them bolt out of the door. Huh, this is really important, if it means Sans actually runs there rather than shortcutting to the nearest spot. You can feel the message of the SAVE point in the living room change to reflect the new purpose of determination, so you go over to it and Save.

 

*Getting your sins off your chest and then reuniting the Serif brothers fills you with Determination.

 

Huh. Here, they are known as the Serif brothers. Smiling, you relax into the couch and turn on the T.V. for some Mettaton reruns. Things will be a lot more interesting from here on out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just made the Jerry Sparing for laughs, and made it so that Jerries HATE being spared
> 
> Also, before writing this fanfic, I have always wanted to see a story of someone from our universe or similar to find themselves in Undertale
> 
> By the way, my brother and I came up with the idea of the True Void being separate from the Void proper. That way, it would explain why there aren't multiple Gasters in the Void
> 
> Speaking of Gaster, this Gaster has spent most of the time (or lack thereof) he spent in the Void studying the multiverse, and discovered the existence of the True Void
> 
> Lastly, in my head, this is the only instance of John being like this in the entire multiverse, similar or not


	6. What Matters is Letting Go of a Few Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally get to know more about your Soul, and why it is how it is

Considering what went down yesterday, you had to wait until today to return to Waterfall, because you still wanted to explore. So you just spent the rest of the day watching T.V.

 

When you woke up this morning, you did the routine; get dressed, have breakfast, Save, and leave for Waterfall, thinking about what Gaster has said.

 

You remember him telling you that he does not care about who you tell about your ability to Save and Load to, and you’ve decided that you will tell who are technically the ‘main cast’, such as Undyne and Alphys, though you plan to tell Alphys first, because you are getting antsy about the condition of your Soul, and she might be the best shot at helping you understand why it is like it.

 

You didn’t notice it until now, but you just passed through Gaster’s corridor. Shrugging, you continue on, past Sans’ telescope, and to the left, where the Nice Cream Guy should be. You see that he isn’t here, but at least you get to see what the glyph says.

 

On the glyph is an illustration, one of a random Monster holding its appendages up to the sky, with seven Souls in a semicircle above the Monster. You know you should feel frightened by this image, but all you’re thinking is how awesome it looks. Sure, it might be a monster holding seven human Souls, but hey, you can appreciate a drawing no matter how terrifying it should look. You turn away and continue on.

 

After a while of walking, you are at Onionsan’s place, in which you sneakily make it past successfully, not here for conversation. You then walk to the north where the piano puzzle is… or where it will be, in this case.

 

The piano is not there, but the door leading to it is open, so you enter the room. As usual, the Legendary Artifact is there, but you quickly check if the Annoying Dog is in your inventory. Good, it isn’t. You walk up to the Artifact, and calmly pick it up. Huh, nothing really happened. You quickly check what the glyph says.

 

_ If you are reading this, then you somehow picked up the Legendary Artifact! Enjoy the ability of saying that you managed it! _

_ -Toby Fox _

 

Really? This entire thing was about bragging rights?

 

Wait, that actually kind of makes sense. You feel the Annoying Dog enter your inventory, so you use it.

 

The Annoying Dog takes the Legendary Artifact from your inventory and places it back onto the pedestal, with the glyph becoming blurry once again. It then turns to you.

 

“Congratulations on getting the Legendary Artifact! Tell all your friends, or don’t! I’ve got important business to attend to, so I have to leave.” you just stare at it, “Don’t you have someone to get to?” it asks, and you remember that you in fact do have someone to get to, before the Dog phases through the eastern wall. Shrugging, you continue on through Waterfall, but not before grabbing an umbrella.

 

After a bit of walking, you get to the part of the caves where the castle is, and admire it a bit before continuing. You get to the part where Monster Kid would usually lift you up the ledge. After a bit of searching, you can’t find anywhere to climb up, and hear a voice before you could start walking away.

 

“Hey, punk! What are you doing all the way out here?” Undyne asks you, and you smile.

 

“I’m just exploring on my route to get to the Labs,” you tell her, and she nods.

 

“Well, the fastest way there is through the docks up here, so I’ll help you up, alright?” she says, and you raise your hands for her to take them.

 

You half expect her to suplex you when you were level with her, but she gently puts you onto the ground, with you squealing in delight.

 

When you’ve calmed down, you tell her, “I bet that I can make it across the docks before you,” and you instantly regret that, seeing how you saw challenge flash across her face.

 

“Oh, it’s on, punk!” she yells, and runs off with a ‘Ngah!’. Shaking your head but smiling, you race after her.

 

The one advantage to being in your younger form was that you could easily weave across the planks. You get to the large part of the dock, and by that time, you are neck-in-neck with Undyne. You see that the bridge across is still there, so you put in one last burst of speed. Undyne skid to a halt.

 

“Kid, wait!” she said, but by the time you heed her call, the planks you were came loose, which caused you to trip, slamming into the bridge. The rest of the section of the bridge collapsed.

 

You hear Undyne yell for you as you fell, darkness surrounding you as you fall.

 

* * *

  
  


“I-it’s the human, I t-think,” you hear as you regain consciousness. You’d know that stutter anywhere.

 

“Oh, he’s w-waking up,” you hear her say, and you start to sit up, groaning and opening your eyes. Your vision is a little blurry, but after a few seconds, things come into focus.

 

You see Alphys and Undyne in front of you, and then you take a look around. You see that you’re in the garbage dump. You look down, and see that you’re at the place where the SAVE point usually is. Great, you just caused another thing for the game. You test the planks by bouncing a bit. It appears to have anchored itself to some hidden trash, making it stay in place.

 

“John, you fell down here just a few minutes ago. It’s a good thing Alphys was  here and made sure to dump a lot of trash in the way before you, uh, yeah,” Undyne says, and you flinch. It was not from being saved by Alphys, but from Undyne actually used your name, which felt strange, “but anyway, I’ve got to get back to my patrol. See you nerds later!” Undyne shouts as she is leaving the dump, and you and Alphys just sit there.

 

“So,” you start, “what were you doing here in the garbage dump?” you ask her, and she fidgets with the ends of her sleeves.

 

“L-looking for new parts. And possibly s-some anime,” she says, quietly squeaking the last part.

 

“Well, I was actually looking for you before I dropped in,” you tell her, chuckling at your own joke. She gawks at you.

 

“Y-you were actually looking f-for me?” she asks, and you nod.

 

“There are a few things I’d like to talk to you about, such as more… sensitive topics,” you say, and Alphys gulps nervously, but nods.

 

“Alright, w-we can go t-to my lab,” she states, and runs off to the Riverperson’s boat, with you close behind.

 

“Tra la la, I like to ride in my boat. Where would you like me to take you?” they state.

 

“Hotland,” you quickly say before Alphys could.

 

“Then we’re off,” they state.

 

Halfway to Hotland, the Riverperson says a cryptic quote you’ve never hear it say before, “Tra la la. Be careful for what secrets you wish to know. They can change how someone thinks of you,” and Alphys starts sweating, with you feeling nervous.

 

The boat arrives at Hotland, and you both disembark. You feel nervous about what you’re going to do, but you head up the stairs and to the SAVE point.

 

*Finally getting to know more about your Soul fills you with Determination.

 

You walk into the lab, and Alphys turns on the lights. To the left there is the big screen that is showing you on it, but you pay no mind to it.

 

“A-alright, what was it that you wanted to t-talk to me about?” she asks you, and is shaking nervously. You look her in the eyes.

 

“I shouldn’t beat around the bush, and I don’t want to risk giving you a heart attack, but you should know that,” you take a deep breath, bracing yourself, “I know what you’ve been doing in the basement of this lab, and your experiments with determination.”

 

Alphys visibly starts freaking out, “How do you know?! Oh god you must hate me! I’m just a screw-up! I’m, I’m-”

 

You place your hands on her shoulders, “Snap out of it, Alphys! Come on, breathe with me. Breathe!” you say, and slowly but surely, she calms down.

 

“Okay. B-but how do you k-know all of t-this?” she asks you, and you just pull out the book, handing it to her.

 

“I know a lot of things that others don’t know, but that’ll be for later. Just know that I don’t hate you for the things you’ve done down there, but if you’ll let me,” you take a breath, “I’ll help you out with them.”

 

“W-will you t-tell anyone about t-them?” she asks, and you shake your head, bringing her into a hug.

 

“I will keep them a secret between us as long as you want,” you tell her, and you feel her relax.

 

“Okay,” she says, then backs out of the hug slowly, “But w-what was were the o-other things you wanted t-to discuss?”

 

“My Soul,” you simply put. She looks at you.

 

“What a-about it? A-all I heard from U-Undyne was that you h-have a u-unique Soul condition, one t-that can’t be used f-for the Barrier,” she asks you. You sigh.

 

“Because of this,” you say, pulling your Soul into existence. It still looks as glitchy and fragmented as the day you found out. Alphys is staring at it.

 

“How i-is your Soul even l-like that?” she questions, in both fascination and horror. You just shrug.

 

“All I know is that Gaster told me that he pulled me from my own universe and plopped me into the entrance of the Underground,” you say, and Alphys just drops her jaw.

 

“Gaster’s still a-alive? I t-thought he was killed b-by his own creation?” she wonders aloud.

 

“Nah, he’s still technically alive, but he is in no fit for true existence, and is slightly goopy, like everyone downstairs, but I digress. The point being that I was pulled from another universe and ended up here, but that can be talked about another time,” you say, and she just nods.

 

“R-right,” she starts, “but what do y-you know about Souls? From where you c-come from?”

 

You sigh, “First thing is that Monsters don’t exist where I come from, the only ones you know them as being in a video game named Undertale, which would technically take place three years from now,” you frown, “though, just for the record, I am technically twenty-five years old, but that is beside the point,” you shake your head, “Anyways, from what I know, Souls are almost entirely a concept, and if they do exist like here, then they disappear immediately upon death,” you finish.

 

Alphys is deep in thought with a clipboard, then appears to have come to a conclusion, saying “Well, f-from what is known a-about the multiverse theory, i-it’s that different universes have t-their own specific laws that d-define them, so maybe your S-soul is just a mock one i-in the meantime. U-until it stabilizes into one t-that is a happy m-medium between the two opposing p-physics. That, o-or it’s your true Soul, and it doesn’t really l-like this universe’s physics at t-the moment,” she pauses, “but i-if it’s the second, then it m-might gradually become used to t-this universe, becoming less glitch-like i-in appearance.”

 

You hold your chin in thought, “I like the last one more, feels much more special,” you start stroking your chin, “That’s all I wanted to know about why my Soul is like that for now. Though, there are a couple of things you need to know about it, before we stop,” you tell her.

 

“A-and what would those be?” she asks, unsure.

 

“Well, on my first day in Snowdin, I was in a Fight with some Monsters,” you start, “and happened to take a fatal hit to the Soul.”

 

Alphys gawks at you.

 

“How are you even a-alive then?” she asks.

 

“When I woke up, I tried pulling out my Soul, and voila! It appeared.”

 

It appears that you have activated her No-Stutter Scientist Mode, as she says, “Oh my gosh, we need to get working on that right now, see how it works, and see what happens when we recreate those circumstances!” she says rapidly, heading to the True Lab elevator, apparently having forgotten her shame of it, and beckons you to enter, and you comply.

 

Like the rest of the Underground, there is more to the True Lab than there appears to be in-game, as she leads you to another room with a lot of confusing equipment, and in the center there is a chair with straps in it. You get onto the chair, and Alphys starts using the machinery.

 

When the machinery is up and running, it appears that her negative thoughts are coming back to her, and she slows down, shaking.

 

“I- I can’t do this,” she says.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because, I-I’m afraid that I might mess up, t-that I might h-hurt you like I hurt t-them,” she tells you.

 

“I trust that you won’t mess this up,” you tell her, “You won’t mess up, I believe that you can do this.”

 

The words seem to be getting through to her, and she takes a deep breath.

 

“O-okay, now, what would you like to test it using?” she asks in a small voice.

 

“Blue lasers,” you reply, “my Soul can’t pass through any cyan magic, and even then, all the fragments act like separate parts, so it’ll take a small amount of time to finish.”

 

She nods, sweating and looking almost unconvinced, but pulls the switch.

 

Blue lasers come out of the ceiling, and are directed at your Soul. You gasp in pain, but quickly fall unconscious, last thoughts of being thankful that you were strapped in so that you wouldn’t risk moving into the lasers.

 

* * *

  
  


“-ohn! John!” is the first thing you hear when you wake back up. You look at Alphys, who looks a mix between excited from new undiscovered information and fear of you not waking up.

 

“What?” you tiredly say to her.

 

“You’re okay! T-thank God!” she says, before continuing, “Your Soul just disappeared, and the Soul Scanner showed that it reappeared back in your body. We must try this c-couple more times for more data!” she finishes excitedly.

 

“Sure. Hurts like a bullet to the chest, but as long as it’s not permanent damage I’m fine,” you tell her. She either did not hear that or chose to ignore it in favor of excitement.

 

You test it a couple of more times before Alphys has enough data for conclusive results.

 

“I-it appears that your Soul is u-unique from all other human Souls. F-from old war s-stories, there were human c-casualties caused by Monsters, but t-they accidentally hit the Soul, causing i-it to shatter, which is why n-not a Soul was taken. However, y-your Soul does not do that, due to your unique e-existence and entrance to this u-universe. I-instead, your Soul returns to your b-body, and that brief p-period of unconsciousness is your body d-diverting resources away from the mind b-briefly and towards the Soul, w-which is why you wake up with full h-health,” she states, and you drink in the information.

 

Huh, well that explains a lot. But as interesting as that is, there is one thing left to tell her about, but she beats you to the punch.

 

“Now, the l-last thing I’m sure you want to know about h-has something to do with Soul colors, do you know w-what each color is?” she asks you, and you nod.

 

“Cyan is patience, orange is bravery, blue is integrity, purple is perseverance, green is kindness, and yellow is justice,” you recite, and Alphys nods, “But do you know what a red Soul like mine is?”

 

“N-now, you are t-the first red Soul I’ve had the chance to s-study, but with e-enough time I will b-be able to- “ and you cut her off.

 

“Because I know what trait red Souls have,” you tell her, and she just stares at you.

 

“A-and what would t-that be?” she questions.

 

You flash her a smile.

 

“Determination.”

 

Alphys looks like she’s about to pass out, but manages to pull herself together, “A-a Soul that runs on pure Determination?” she asks, and you nod.

 

“From what I know, Determination is a rather powerful substance in this universe, am I correct?” you question knowingly.

 

“Y-yes, from my own… experiments w-with it,” she says, looking down.

 

“There is another, extremely little known about use for Determination. You remember from one of your entries, about the resolve to change fate?” she looks at you.

 

“I-I won’t ask how you k-know about that, but y-yeah?”

 

“Well, that is a little known ability,” you go on.

 

“W-what do you m-mean?”

 

“It means that I can bring us back in time, with almost no one remembering what I did. In other words,” you strike a dramatic pose, “I am a time traveler.”

 

“W-wait, what?” she says, bewildered but amazed.

 

“Follow me, my dear Alphys,” you tell her, and even though you both are the same height, you lead her out of the True Lab, and up the elevator, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn't know, this event would take place shortly after Alphys' last entry in the True Lab, so she and Undyne would still be relatively new to each other
> 
> Also, has anyone considered that it's possible that some Monsters managed to kill some humans, but the Soul shattered before any Monster could absorb it?


	7. What Matters is a Little Testing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You give proof of your ability to Alphys and Undyne, have a risky test, and a test that you never wanted to risk taking

You lead Alphys out of the labs, and to the SAVE point. When you stop and beam at her, she looks at you, confused, and starts looking around.

 

“W-why’d you stop h-here?” she asks you, and you begin to explain.

 

“I don’t think you can see it, but right next to where I’m standing is the method I use to Save points in time, and I can rewind back to the most recent one I made. The method used is a little thing called a SAVE point, where, when I feel a surge of Determination, it creates a location, where when I interact with it, it Saves the point in time, and I can return it as well. A smaller thing that is mostly just neat, but it also gives a quote of what fills me with Determination,” you tell her, and she nods. You turn to the SAVE point, and reach to it.

 

“Finally getting to know more about your Soul fills you with Determination,” you murmur, “and, File Saved,” you say before Saving. Alphys blinks at you.

 

“Wait, ‘F-file Saved’?” she asks, “Like i-in a video game?”

 

You shrug, “Well yeah, in my universe, the whole fiasco down here is literally a video game with a very large amount of fanfiction, with a whole lot of alternate universes, but we can talk about that stuff another time,” she nods.

 

“W-well, can you give some p-proof of the t-time travel?”

 

You nod, and take out your phone, and dial a number. The line picks up after the second beep.

 

“YES, HUMAN JOHN? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED?” Papyrus shouts through the phone.

 

“Yes, can you meet me outside the Hotland labs when I Load? It’s for Alphys.”

 

“OF COURSE! I WILL ALWAYS HELP A FRIEND, NYEH HEH HEH! SEE YOU FIVE MINUTES AGO,” he tells you, and hangs up.

 

Alphys looks at you incredulously, “Wait, P-Papyrus is your proof? I thought o-only those with enough Determination c-could remember?”

 

You sigh, “Sans and Papyrus are exceptions, though only with the help of Gaster.”

 

With that, you reach for your Save File, and press on it. You immediately feel yourself back at the SAVE point.

 

“Yes Alphys, I know I said ‘File Saved’, and I know that this acts as proof, but even more proof will come in roughly a minute,” you say before Alphys could open her mouth in question.

 

“O-okay,” is all she says as she looks at the ground.

 

After a minute, Papyrus comes in from the docks, and runs over to you.

 

“WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU NEEDED HELP WITH, JOHN?” he asks.

 

“Just needed some proof to Alphys that I could time travel at a thought,” you say nonchalantly. Papyrus opens his sockets even wider.

 

“WELL I SUPPOSE THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHOULD PROVIDE AS PERFECT PROOF,” he says, and strikes the pose that has his scarf wave at a nonexistent wind, “AND YOU’RE STARTING TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR ABILITY?” you nod, “WOWIE, DOES THAT MEAN I CAN TELL UNDYNE ABOUT IT NOW?” he asks, and you nod again, “THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL TELL UNDYNE. NYEH HEH HEH!” he declares, running off. You sigh in relief.

 

“Well, I hope you’re happy that you’re blabbing our secrets all over the place, especially to trash like this,” you hear a voice call out, and your blood instantly freezes. You turn to where the voice came from.

 

Flowey is right there, with a smug grin. Alphys squeaks, and cowers, though she can’t get away, due to vines blocking any exit.

 

“Flowey, let her go. This is only between the two of us,” you tell him, but he only laughs.

 

“Please. You ought to know what the consequences are of telling ANYONE our little secret. And those should be,” he turns his face demonic, “to watch them DIE, before your very eyes,” and with that, he starts digging his vines into Alphys while laughing.

 

“Wait!” you yell, and he stops, intrigued, and you know you have only three cards left, “if you do that, I will personally get Sans to do some  _ weeding _ of the Underground, starting with you. I’m sure that he’ll be  _ vine _ with starting it, and I believe that if you  _ tree _ something risky, then something will  _ stem _ from that,” you tell him, but he just scoffs and rolls his eyes.

 

“Please, you are too much of a goodie two-shoes to ask him to do that. And besides,” he turns his faces into Sans’, “he hates you now,” and continues digging his thorns into Alphys.

 

You attempt to catch him on his curious side, “Why don’t you kill me instead? You’ll be able to do it as many times as you want.”

 

He just scoffs again, “Really? You think I’m gonna Spare your friends just to keep killing you? I want to make you suffer before you die!” he says, further digging the thorns.

 

You hoped that it wouldn’t come to this, but you have no other cards left other than this one, so you have to use it, but it may be your trump card.

 

You take a deep breath, and yell to him.

 

“CAN YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP, ASRIEL?!”

 

Both Flowey and Alphys widen their eyes in shock, but Flowey narrows his eyes and retracts his vines from Alphys, and wraps them around you.

 

“You did not just say my name, you idiot,” he whispers to you.

 

“Seriously, ‘idiot’, that’s the best you can call me, Azzy?” you spit out to him, smiling at the nickname some people gave him on the internet.

 

“Call me that one more time,” he growls at you, summoning pellets around your throat and tightening the vines.

 

“Make me, Asriel Dreemurr,” you say in a strained but monotonous voice.

 

Flowey screeches, tightening the vines to the maximum, and snapping the ring of pellets around your neck. When that’s done, he raises you as high as he could from the ground, then you feel a shock through the vines, which then release you. You then look at Alphys.

 

It appears that she used her magic to send a shock through the vines.

 

Flowey gnashes his teeth at Alphys, but then burrows away, dropping you suddenly to the ground.

 

*   *   *

 

You feel massive bruises blossom around your neck, and you are gasping for breath. Alphys runs over to you, and kneels. Fehler from the Inverted Fate AU is playing in the background.

 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for that much electricity to go into the vines! I just mess everything up! I tried to help, but look at what it’s done! It hurt you instead! I-I -” she says, sobbing, but you cup your hand on her cheek in a sympathetic way, in which she stiffens.

 

“Alphys,” you wheeze out with a weak voice, “I don’t hate you for wanting and trying to help, even if it ended badly,” you give a weak chuckle, but instead have a weak cough, with some blood, “but, if it’s any consolation, I love you even more for that. Platonically, anyways,” another cough, “because it shows that you truly care.”

 

“T-thanks,” she says, and appears to start thinking, “I won’t remember, right?”

 

“Technically, yeah,” you state, “but you will have some deja vu, so in a way, you will remember,” you continue, voice barely above a whisper. You thought that a bruised jugular would take less time to kill you, but it feels like at this point, you’re running on pure Determination.

 

“Please tell the next me about what you told me,” Alphys says, touching her head to your shoulder in a comforting way. Your head barely moves when you nod.

 

“Okay,” you whisper.

 

The last of your strength leaves you, and you feel your life fade from the rest of your body, and the last thing you hear is Alphys’ sobbing, before everything goes black.

 

* * *

  
  


***File Loaded.**

 

“Wait, ‘F-file Saved’?” Alphys asks, “Like i-in a video game?”

 

“Yes, Alphys, like in a video game,” you say, tired, “And I just Loaded it a few seconds ago.”

 

“W-wait, why?” she asks. You hear a familiar popping up of a certain flower, and sigh.

 

“Because of him,” you say, and point to where he is. Alphys turns to him, and gives a squeak of terror, and you feel a bit of it coming from deja vu.

 

“Wow, you have a lot more mental and  _ emotional _ fortitude than I gave you credit for,” he starts, smiling, “I thought that you would break down and  _ bawl _ like a little baby!” he says, and starts laughing maniacally, but abruptly stops and narrows his eyes at you.

 

“But if I hear you EVER say my old name again, whether it be in this timeline or another, I’ll do MUCH worse to you than what I did last timeline!” he says while insanely laughing, and then finishes, and burrows back into the ground, but not before he sees you sticking out your tongue at him.

 

“Wait, i-it remembers?” Alphys squeaks, and you nod.

 

“It’s the flower that disappeared from the garden,” you tell her, and she visibly pales, “And, before me, it was in control of the timeline,” and she pales even further.

 

Alphys turns slowly to you, and asks “W-what d-did i-i-it d-do i-in t-t-the l-last t-timeline?” in a horrified voice.

 

“He tried and succeeded in killing me,” you put it bluntly, “but you tried freeing me,” you paused, “but, it sort of backfired, causing me to fall,” and you wince at that.

 

“Oh my gosh, I’m sor-” she starts, but you cut her off.

 

“No need to tell me sorry, I already forgave you before everything went dark. You wanted me to tell the you from right now that even though it backfired, I still love you for helping me, because it showed that you cared,” you tell her, and she appears to have calmed down a bit.

 

“Okay,” she says quietly, and turns to go back into the lab.

 

“Wait!” you shout to her, and when she turns you start to do the dumbest thing you have done in the entire timeline, and possibly the dumbest thing you’ll ever do.

 

You bring your Soul into existence, and pull hard on one of the fragments, with Alphys looking horrified, but you pay that no mind. With the feeling of pulling something out of honey, you manage to pry it out of place. Feeling fatigued, but triumphant, you quickly give the fragment to Alphys, who turns from looking horrified to disgusted, but then intrigued, as a new fragment grew into where you pulled the fragment. Huh. That’s neat and convenient.

 

“Put it into your pocket, and trust me on this,” you tell her, and she nods,  complying.

 

When it is secured in her pocket, you Load your File.

 

“Wait, ‘F-file Saved’?” Alphys asks, “Like i-in a video game?”

 

“Check your pocket,” you tell her, and, while looking confused, she does it, and takes out your Soul fragment. It looks like she is remembering something, like the fragment is giving back her memories of the previous timeline, but nothing further.

 

“Oh. My. God! You’re a genius, John!” she exclaims, and you hug her.

 

“No, I just did something extremely risky and stupid,” you reply. She pulls out of the hug.

 

“I need to get to work on this, and find out how this works, and if we could apply it to other things,” she says, turning back into her lab, having Scientist Mode activated.

 

You turn to the Riverperson’s dock, and hop onto the boat for Snowdin, smiling.

 

* * *

  
  


In the middle of the ride before the usual tip by the Riverperson, you get a call from Papyrus.

 

“HELLO, JOHN, THIS IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS SPEAKING. UNDYNE HAS ASKED ME TO TELL YOU THAT SHE WANTS YOU TO GO INTO MY ROOM FOR SOMETHING. SHE SAID THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, AND THAT I AM TO NOT TELL YOU WHAT IT IS. BE SURE TO SAVE!” is all he says before hanging up. You shake your head in amusement, before the Riverperson pipes up with their usual cryptic tip.

 

“Tra la la. Fragments of the past can serve as keys to the future,” is all they say. Now that you think of it, it may be giving you advice that can be useful, like in the game. You wonder how it would know all of these things.

 

In the meantime, the boat arrives at Snowdin, and you head to the skelebros’ house.

 

“HELLO, JOHN. YOU REMEMBER MY CALL, DO YOU NOT? BE SURE TO SAVE, FIRST.” is all Papyrus tells you before continuing with his task at hand. Shrugging, you Save, and go up to his room.

 

“Hello there, punk,” is all you hear before you feel yourself being pinned to the ground by a seemingly-angry Undyne, but you can tell in her voice that she’s only testing your reaction. You just smile and Load.

 

On take two, you quickly dodge out of the way, but when she recovers, you are caught in the gut with a punch. Load.

 

You get to the punch, but she suplexes you into Papyrus’ bed, smashing it. Load.

 

You dodge the suplex, but she turns you green, and summons mini spears at you. Load.

 

You block most of the spears. Load.

 

You block most of the spears again. Load.

 

You block all of the spears. You smile at her, but can’t dodge the punch that knocks out half of your teeth. Load.

 

You smile smugly at her after you dodge the last punch, while she is breathing heavily.

 

“Well, that is, enough, proof, for me,” Undyne says, panting.

 

“What tells you that?” you question, already knowing the answer.

 

“You, dodged all, of, my attacks, flawlessly,” she says, and you feel disappointed, feeling like she would’ve needed more to be convinced.

 

“Well, here’s your reward,” you tell her, pulling your Soul into existence, and grab the same fragment that you grew in, and pull it.

 

Undyne looks shocked and horrified at first, but slightly calms down when she sees that you don’t appear to be in pain.

 

With one last pull, the fragment comes free, and, smiling triumphantly, you hand it to her. Undyne looks bewildered.

 

“Uh, what?” she asks.

 

“I took an extreme risk before coming here, by testing it myself with Alphys. Apparently, if you have that on your person when I turn back time, then when you hold it in the new timeline, you will get all of the memories of yourself from any timeline you had it,” you tell her brightly, and she still looks confused.

 

“You’ll be able to remember things when time becomes wonky,” you tell her bluntly, and she just nods in understanding.

 

“Oh, so you’re not usable for the Barrier, yet you are useful for telling the time? That’s… kind of cool actually,” she admits, then gets up, “I can’t even absorb it, so it is kind of neat, I guess.”

 

“Well, I suppose that it would be useful.”

 

“Well, see you later, punk!” Undyne says, and leaves the room, and you follow her out.

 

“can pull you aside for a sec, kid?” Sans appears, and you nod, “alright.”

 

You both get to the couch, and he sits down.

 

“kid, what was up with all of the loads earlier? granted, i slept through most of them, but what about the past few ones?” he asks you, and you give a sigh of relief.

 

“They were just tests, for Alphys and Undyne,” you tell him.

 

“are you sure you could trust them with this knowledge? i don’t want the secret getting out to every monster in the underground just yet,” he tells you, and you nod.

 

“Yes, I do trust them. I believe that they will not spill it without me knowing, and besides, I don’t care about who’s been told,” you say, and he just nods.

 

“well, keep it up. the loads are an excellent way to take naps,” he says, winking.

 

“Can you do it with your sockets closed?” you ask him, and he chuckles.

 

“yeah, but can you sleep like a baby?” he asks.

 

“No, I sleep like a rock, so not at all!” you declare, and he just starts laughing.

 

“where do you get these jokes, kid?” he asks between laughs.

 

“My head,” you say, and knock on it a couple of times.

 

“NYOO HOO HOO! NO JOKES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!” Papyrus says as he walks into the house, apparently having left during Undyne’s ambush.

 

“Alright, I’ll stop,” you say, and he looks happier.

 

You go to the SAVE point, and Save, because you do not want to relive the encounter.

 

*Letting Alphys and Undyne know about your ability, along with slowly repairing your friendship with Sans, fills you with Determination.

 

You spend the rest of the day watching T.V., and when it is time to sleep, you fall asleep smiling, letting go of all of today’s tension.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because of John's Soul condition, the only way for him to Load from death is bodily death
> 
> Also, John's Soul fragments will become important during the events of Undertale


	8. What Matters is the Result

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do some testing with Alphys about your Soul fragment

You wake up from a nightmare a few days later, gasping for breath. This one again? Seriously, you should have gotten over your nightmare of Sparing Jerry quite some time ago, but apparently it will haunt you for the rest of your days, and you’re sure of it.

 

You think of the past few days. You have been going to the labs for the past few days, to run some tests and help with the Amalgamates. Alphys was a little nervous at first at showing you them, but quickly calmed down at the sight of you calmly walking up and petting Endogeny.

 

You get off of the couch, and go make breakfast for the brothers, a new wake-up record for you, and start finishing up the pancakes by the time Papyrus gets out of bed.

 

“JOHN, YOU ARE UP EARLIER THAN USUAL, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT’S AN IMPROVEMENT!” You nod, and point your head towards the pancakes, which are about as good as they’re going to get, considering you don’t have as good of motor control as you did, “YOU MADE US PANCAKES ALL BY YOURSELF FOR US?” you nod again, “WOWIE! YOU ARE BECOMING QUITE THE CHEF. WITH ENOUGH TIME, YOU CAN BECOME AS GREAT OF A CHEF AS I.”

 

You nod, and start to eat your plate. A few minutes later, Sans comes out of his room, and you can hear him sniff somehow.

 

“hey, who made the pancakes?” he asks, as he gets to the table, and starts eating, the flavor making him brighten his eyelights.

 

“YOUNG JOHN HERE MADE THE PANCAKES BEFORE I GOT OUT OF BED, ALL BY HIMSELF! I TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD SOMEDAY BECOME A GREAT CHEF,” Papyrus responds, and you feel yourself start to blush.

 

“heh, well i think that these are  _ egg _ -cellent,” Sans says, and you chuckle.

 

You turn to Papyrus, “You should probably leave now, because the puns are about to intense,” and he looks annoyed but grateful that you gave him a head start, so he leaves the house for work.

 

“Really, Sans? You’ve got to bring  _ batter _ puns than that,” you tell Sans, smiling.

 

“really? i think that i’ll  _ bowl _ over yours, kid,” he retorts.

 

“ _ Dough _ cookware puns work? If they do, I’ll  _ fork _ thrice as many puns as your next sentence,” you say, giggling.

 

“ _ donut _ get too cocky, kid. i can  _ cook _ up more puns than you can  _ dish out _ ,” he tells you, and you snicker.

 

“ _ Oil _ well, I guess that you really can, but I’ll take any  _ whisk _ that I can, but  _ spoon _ I’ll give you a  _ taste _ of your own medicine, but it won’t feel  _ knife _ to you. Some advice, but don’t stay up too  _ plate _ trying to think of something  _ butter _ , because I was going to ask you about  _ flour _ you doing, but when you do cooking puns, you’ve got to bring  _ everything but the kitchen sink _ ,” you finish.

 

Sans looks at you in shock, but starts chuckling, then laughing, then harder. When he’s stopped, you are smiling at him proudly.

 

“out-punned by a kid yet again. i can’t believe this has been what my life has been leading up to. what next, you take my job?” he asks, and you shrug.

 

“Well, I’ll be at the labs if you need me,” you tell him, “we are almost at a breakthrough with testing the Soul fragment I gave to Alphys,” you continue, and Sans just nods.

 

“are you sure it’s safe for you to just… take fragments of your own Soul? you know that they are the very culmination of your being, right?” he asks, and you nod.

 

“One of the things we’ll do today is test if there would be any permanent  negative side effects of pulling out the fragment, and another would be if we could apply it to machinery, so don’t be surprised if there are multiple Loads,” you pause, “Oh, and also tell Papyrus about possible Loads for the day.”

 

“alright, kid. but be sure to call me before you save, because i want to get my naps in,” Sans says, giving you a wink, causing you to laugh.

 

“You are such a lazybones, Sans,” you tell him as you walk out of the door.

 

You head up to the Riverperson’s dock, but suddenly you see that you are being surrounded by darkness. No, you weren’t being surrounded by darkness.

 

You were being pulled into the Void.

 

You sigh, and yell out into the darkness, “What is it now?”

 

“Do̡ ̴yoư ͜re͡me̢m̡be̛r̶ ̨wha̢t̡ I̷ to̶ļd ̧y͏o̸u̡ tw̸o̷ c̴ha͟pte͏r̛s͝ ͡ago?” Gaster replies.

 

You furrow your brow in thought, before you remember, “Oh yeah! You told me that you will tell me a bit more about my Soul!”

 

“W̛ell̡, wha̕t Do͟ct̴o͡r̴ ͠Alp̨h͞ys͞ ͢h͏as͡ ţold ͟yo͘u is ̛o͝nly̡ mo͏st ͠of͡ it̴.” he starts, “The rem̢ai̢nin̡g̡ ̨p͘ie͝ce is̵ that͞ ͡th͏e͡ ͜re̛aso͡n̷ your͡ ͝Sou̢l ̶re̸tu͟rn͝s to ͜your bo̸d͡y ͠r͏at͟h͏er͘ ̸th̡ąn s͏ḩat̴ters is b͟ecaus͢e͟ ̨i̶t ̵is͏ a ͞si̸de̢ ̡ef̕fec̷t o͘f̸ being t͡o͜uc͡h͟ed̡ by͏ ̡the̷ ̸Tr̶ue͟ Vo̢id. The҉ Ţrue V̶o̶i̛d̕ c͟an ͝do҉ ̸i҉rr͜eve҉r̸s͡i̡b͟l̵e c҉h̴a҉n̵ges̡ to̡ ̡on̶ę's e҉sse̷n͞c̛e҉, s͘o҉m̛e̛t̸imeş g͠ood,͜ ̕som̸e͘t̨im͟es͏ bad̕, b̡u͝t ҉alwa̕ys at ̡l͏e̵a͠st͏ ̡o̴ne͟ ͠p҉os̢it̷iv̡e̴ ͞a̵n̸d n̶e̷ga͟tive̶.̛ I҉t ̵a͡pp̸ea҉rs͟ t͞hat ̕y̛ou҉ h̨a̷ve ģa͏ine͠d͝ the͡ ̡positi̴v̡ȩ e͜ffe̸c͞t of̴ r͝es͝i͝sti͠ng So͞u̡l ḑe̕a͜t͠h.” he finishes.

 

“But what would the negatives?” you wonder, then turn to the Reader, “Would you know what it would be?”

 

Gaster looks ready to facepalm himself as he says, “N͝o, ͘th̶ey ̵wo͢ųl͏dn't ̢have ̧defi͏n͢i͢ti̕ve̛ k̡now͢led̛g͡e ǫf͠ ̸w͡hat̡ ͞yo̴uŗ n̶egati҉ve side e͝f̴fe͠c̨tş ͝o͏f͜ ̢b̕eing̨ touc͞h̸e͟d̷ ̸by ͞the T͡r̷ưe̢ ̕Vo̶id ̡wo̸ulḑ ͞b̕e̴, ̴as̢ t҉hey͝ ̶c͡o͘u͜ld o̡nly ̵h̨av͝e͞ wha̛t̢ t̨hey ̢could s҉pecul͝at͞e a͜n̛d ̡wh̛at̕ ̡th͠is̕ ͡s͏tory̧ te͡l̷ls t̕h͞e̕m͝.” he says.

 

You hear a high-pitched static whining begin, and Gaster appears to understand what it means, as he looks like he’s listening. The static abruptly stops, and Gaster turns to you.

 

“A̷h, ͘ye̢s.̨ ̛T͘h͘e A͝u͝thor̢ ̧h̨as͞ ̛tol҉d ͜me͘ ̡wh͠ąt͏ ̕y͞o͝u͞r ne͝g͘ative s̛i͢d̛e ͝ef͡f͜e̛cts a͠r̛e.̶” he says.

 

“Well, that was convenient, but why can you hear them and not me?” you question.

 

“You ͝hav͝e̢ not͡ bee͠n in͡ ţh̨e͝ Vo͘i͡d fo͜r ęv̢e̵n̡ ̷a s̵i͘g̢ni͝f҉ic̕an̶t͠ ͢frac̛ti̶o͘n̕ of͡ ̛my ̢t̨im̡e͏ her̕e, ̵bu̶t ba͜ck̛ t͞o t̸h̷e̷ ͘t͏o͜pic a̵t ha͟nḑ.” Gaster says, clears his throat, and then continues, “They ͝hav̢ę to̶l̵d͟ m͜e t҉hat̢ yo͞u̵r ̸neg̡a͢t͢i̷ve͜ ̨s̡i͘d̴e ̛ef͞fe̷c҉ts ͡wiļl̸ ̡b͟e ͜th̶at͘ ̢yơu͘ ͡w͜ill n҉ot̨ ͡b͏e͟ ̛ab҉l̴e̕ ͢to us̡e͟ t̴he͢ ͡same͏ m̸agic̕ m͜e̶th͏o͟d͡s as̕ M̕on͘sters̵,̨ o͠r even wh͠at̸ ͘hu͜m͢a͝ns͟ ͞will ͝be a͏b̛le ͢to͞ do,̵ sh͘ould ͞y͘ou ̴ļea̕r̛n͞ ma̸gic. ̕Eve͘n͏ ҉the̛n̡,͞ l̸e͢ar̸nin̴g i͘t ̸will͘ ͏b̷e ha̢r͝d̵.” he says.

 

You groan, “Ugh, I know that the universe doesn’t play fair, but can’t it give us an easy time once in a while?”

 

Gaster gives a small smile, “I҉ ̢know it̶’s harsh, ͘bu̶t̨ ̕th̢e͏ A͡ųthor ͜has̸ ͟a̷s̷su̢red͝ ͝m͡e͝ th̴a̴t di͜f̕fi͝cu҉ļt tim͏e̷s̕ ąr̡e ex̢ce̷llen̕t̴ for̷ ̕chara̴cter b͝u̷ildi҉n͟g.”

 

You frown, “Can you punch the Author for me?”

 

“Reme͝m͏ber͠,̕ ҉įt's̸ ͡rud͘e̵ t͘o t͏a̛l͟k̵ a҉bo͝ut s͞om̕eoņe̡ ҉while̶ they're͢ ̸l͜i͜s͜t̷e̢nįng͢.”

 

“I know that they are, but you’re dodging the question.”

 

“T͡h̢ey hav͘e̕ ͟mad͟e m̷e ͢unable͝ ̡tǫ ̡g҉e͡ţ ̛to̕ t͘h̕em i͝n ̴an̢y ca͘p͟a̧c͝ity.̧ ̸Prett̷y̵ co҉n͠veni̵e҉nt̵ ͝f̸o͘ŗ t̶hem͝, I͢ say̴.” Gaster says, unamused at his answer.

 

“Well, if that’s all you need to talk to me about, then how about you allow me to leave? I’m on my way to something,” you tell him, and he just nods.

 

“We͢ll, if ̕you͠ ̷wan͜t, ҉I'̢l͟l ̡l̴eav͘e y̡o̧u ̴w͟he͟r̵e̛ y̸o͟u ̵wer̡ę.̢ Just p̕leas̸e don̸'̷t͞-” he starts saying, then looks up to see you making silly faces at the Reader, “d͟o͜ ̧t̢h͞a͝t.̡” he finishes, and sighs. Light returns to your surroundings as you return from the Void.

 

* * *

  
  


You snap to focus when you return from the Void, then go straight to the Riverperson’s boat, and ask them to take you to Hotland.

 

“Tra la la. Hmm, results may be good or bad, depending on how you look at them.” the Riverperson says, and you just shrug.

 

The boat comes up to the Hotland landing, and you step off, heading up to the lab.

 

The first thing you see as you walk into the lab is Alphys running around frantically, as if looking for something important she lost.

 

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” she says over and over.

 

“Hey Alphys, what are you looking for?” you ask her, and she looks at you, scared.

 

“I-I am so sorry, but I lost the S-soul fragment. I thought that I left it on that table w-when I went down to feed them, b-but when I came back, i-it was gone!” she exclaims, but you hug her.

 

“It’s okay, I can just give another one to you, and we can continue research, alright?” you tell her.

 

“B-but, what if your fragment doesn’t come back in? I don’t want to l-leave you with an incomplete Soul,” she replies, but you shake your head.

 

“I believe that it would come back at any rate. If it comes back through Determination, well,” you give a soft laugh, “then I’ve got more than I know what to do with.”

 

Alphys gives a soft laugh, and you feel the tension drain out of her limbs.

 

“Okay, but c-can you please turn around for it? It just looks unsettling, n-not to mention creepy,” she asks, and you nod, turning around.

 

With the same feeling of pulling something out of honey, you pry out the same fragment as before, and like before, a new fragment begins to form where it was. You feel slightly fatigued, but otherwise, unharmed.

 

“A q-question before we begin. D-do you experience any memory loss when you p-pull out the fragment?” Alphys asks.

 

You probe your memories, but you don’t find anything that is out of place, so you shake your head. Alphys sighs in relief.

 

“T-that’s good. I believe that when you d-do that, your S-soul is aware of your intent, thus it m-moves anything vital out of that f-fragment, resulting in a usable fragment.”

 

You stroke your chin in thought, then say “Well, all that’s left in the fragment is Determination, right?” Alphys nods, one of the first tests on it being tested for Determination, in which much was able to be taken out, “So maybe, the fragment needs a constant supply of something else stable, like magic or Determination from a living being, so that it will stay in existence, otherwise it will just… fade out?” you ponder, and Alphys looks in contemplation.

 

“That would explain w-why it wasn’t there when I-I came back up; it was too unstable, then g-glitched out of existence!” she exclaims.

 

“Well, now that we’ve got that mystery solved, or at least for now, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a few days,” you start.

 

Alphys cocks an eyebrow in question, “And what w-would that be?”

 

You smile, “See what happens if you are holding the Soul fragment in your hand as I Load.”

 

“A-and what do you expect to g-get from this?” she asks, looking unsure.

 

“Just trust me on this; if what I think works, then it would be one of the biggest discoveries of the Underground,” you tell her.

 

“O-okay,” Alphys says, hesitant, but holding the Soul fragment firmly.

 

You Load.

 

When you arrive at the SAVE point, you wait a few seconds, and sure enough, you hear the door to the labs open and someone running towards you.

 

“It worked, John, it worked!” Alphys excitedly says to you, while you’re breathing heavily, but when she sees, she immediately looks concern, “Oh my god, what’s happening?”

 

Wheezing, you pull glitch your Soul into existence, and sure enough, the Soul fragment that was replacing was still growing. You begin to empty your stomach, with Alphys rubbing your back to help.

 

When you finish emptying your stomach, you groan out “Note to self: never Load so soon after prying out a Soul fragment.”

 

“I-I’m so sorry that happened to you,” she says to you.

 

“Don’t be, I was the one who wanted to do it. I think the reason it didn’t hurt a few days ago was because I was running a lot of Determination at the time, so it must have numbed it long and well enough to not hurt at the time,” you state, and she nods.

 

You decide to change the subject, “We should get to work on testing,” and Alphys nods, wanting to get off of the topic.

 

“W-well, I think that we should see if it would w-work with machinery,” she starts, and you nod, groaning, but head into the lab.

 

* * *

  
  


A few hours later, the two of you have finished a video recording device, complete with a slot to enclose any Soul fragment, along with wireless magic and Determination wristband transmitters, so that the fragment could survive more distance between a potential holder and the machine. You put a new fragment in it, then go out to Save.

 

*Wanting to prove the capabilities of your Soul fragment fills you Determination.

 

You go back into the lab, and see Alphys working on some finishing touches on the recorder, then she backs up, looking pleased with her work. Putting on one of the wristbands, you walk up next to her.

 

“I think this is one of the best things you’ve made,” you tell her, and she blushes.

 

“No, I-I have made many other machines, like… M-Mettaton,” Alphys says, and you nod, “So, want to watch some a-anime while we wait for your f-fragment to heal?”

 

You give her an ‘I don’t mind’ shrug, and her face lights up.

 

“O-oh! You should watch one of my favorites; Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, I think that you’ll like it!” she excitedly says, and you follow her to her room, to watch some.

 

You think that it was rather cheesy for your tastes, but otherwise… it was actually quite decent. You actually couldn’t wait until next time, but a full-feeling in your chest tells you that your Soul is completely healed from the fragment.

 

“Alphys, get the camera rolling for a test, alright? And hold the Soul fragment I gave you so that you’ll remember, okay?”

 

She gives you a nod, and starts pressing buttons to activate it. You step in front of the camera, and a red light appears, signalling that it is recording.

 

You close your eyes, take a deep breath, then reopen your eyes.

 

“Hello, my name is John Andrews, and for the past few days, I’ve been acting as an unofficial assistant to the Royal Scientist Doctor Alphys. This video recording is to test the effects and limits of using a Soul fragment, from myself, and applying it to a recording device, to see that if, when I rewind time, the recording will persist, and the device. To test that, like I’ve said, we’ll use a fragment of my Soul. Alphys, can you show it?” she just holds her arm with the fragment in front of the camera, only wanting the bare minimum, “Now, if we’re correct, then the recording will persist, like I said. Okay, now, about to Load in three, two, one, now!”  
  


* * *

  
  


You reappear at the SAVE point, and immediately run into the lab. You see that the camera is still on, and Alphys is checking on it.

 

“Other than a-a lag when the Load happens, the r-recording was successful! We c-can apply it to machines!” she exclaims. You smile.

 

“Will you be needing anything else from me today?” you ask.

 

“Other than e-exchanging numbers for easier communication, I’d say that’s all I n-need from you today,” you nod in understanding.

 

When you give your phone to her, she gasps.

 

“This thing is ANCIENT, i-it doesn’t even have texting!”

 

“Hey!” you say in mock offense, “Those phones are known to be nigh invincible on the Surface!”

 

Alphys turns and goes to her workstation, where after five seconds of construction sounds, she comes back.

 

“I’ve also signed you up for the Undernet, and gave it new capabilities, such as a fragment slot and some dimensional boxes,” she tells you, and gives it back to you.

 

“Thanks, Alphys,” you tell her, and promptly throw the phone at the wall as hard as you could, which wasn’t much at this point.

 

The phone comically bounced off of the wall, and other than the casing coming apart at the edges (that could be put back together easily), the phone stayed intact.

 

Huh. It appears that no matter what, that brand of phone will stay nearly indestructible.

 

“Good, still as indestructible. Thanks again,” you say, Alphys gawking at you as you walk out of the lab.

 

Once out, you check the Undernet app.

 

Profile Username: JOHN

Monster Type: Not Identified

Location of Dwelling: Unknown

 

You quickly change the settings.

 

Profile Username: SAVEscummer

Monster Type: Skeleton in a Meatsack

Location of Dwelling: Snowdin Village

 

You snicker as you input the Monster Type category.

 

You quickly hop on the boat, and nod at the Riverperson, who promptly nods back, and takes you on your way back to Snowdin.

 

“Tra la la. How does a ghost dance? You tell me when you find out,” they say, you’re starting to see patterns in their riddles.

 

Your phone buzzes, so you check the Undernet app.

 

ALPHYS: omg

ALPHYS: john

ALPHYS: mettaton just called

ALPHYS: he wants to do an interview with you

ALPHYS: i don’t know what to tell him

ALPHYS: what should I tell him

 

You sigh, thinking that this was what the Riverperson was talking about. You need to ask some time about how they can do that, but in the meantime, you text out a reply to Alphys’ frantic texting.

 

SAVEscummer: tell him that i’ll be willing to do it

ALPHYS: are you sure???

SAVEscummer: i’m sure, the riverperson mentioned something about a dancing ghost

ALPHYS: they what?! how are they able to give such cryptic clues that end up true?!

SAVEscummer: idk, someone other than them should have an answer

ALPHYS: ok, telling mettaton, hope it works

ALPHYS: picking up

…

ALPHYS: he said that he’s available to do it in a few days

ALPHYS: are you sure?

SAVEscummer: yes, i’m sure :p

 

You put away your phone, sighing. This has been a long and eventful week, and it will continue to be. You just hope that things will go alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head, the reason the Soul fragment allows for memory for others is because it reacts with other Determination or magic, and if you are consistently holding it, you will retain your memory by keeping it in your Soul, but only for ones that you have held it


	9. What Matters is Some Revealing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have an interview with Mettaton, but Sans needs to show you something first

The next few days mostly consist of you helping Alphys with the Amalgamates and Papyrus with his puzzles. Ever since you met Alphys, she has helped configure the puzzles by giving you tips, increasing human-stoppability by 53%, though you are only helping with that to pass the time until the next big event.

 

The day of the interview finally comes. You wake up to the scent of something you haven’t smelled in a rather long time; cinnamon waffles. You jump off of the couch, and walk into the kitchen, to see Papyrus finishing up with cleaning, before getting you and Sans up, also humming.

 

Papyrus notices you walk in, and immediately beams at you, saying “NYEH HEH HEH! TODAY IS YOUR BIG DAY, POSSIBLY THE SECOND BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE.”

 

Knowing where this is going, you ask “What do you think the best day of my life would be?”

 

He poses dramatically, “WHY, THE GREATEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE WAS WHEN YOU MET ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”

 

You chuckle with good intention, “Why, that would count as the greatest day of my life here.”

 

Papyrus beams at that, continuing “I REMEMBER THAT YOU ASKED ME TO MAKE CINNAMON WAFFLES FOR SUCH A SPECIAL DAY, AND I THINK THIS IS THE BEST BATCH OF BREAKFAST FOODS THAT I HAVE PREPARED SO FAR.”

 

Sure enough, when you ate the waffles once Sans came down, there was no wet batter in the middle, and were crunchy in the way that waffles should be, not from being burned. When you were all finished eating, you reached to the SAVE point.

 

When you get up to exit the house, Sans grabs your arm, and says “kid, can we talk a bit? it won’t be for long,” in which you nod your head, “alright.”

 

He leads you around the corner of the house, and you end up in the workshop.

 

“okay, kid. it appears that today is a big day, and i doubt that you’ll get any extra time before the interview, so i decided to spend extra time on the temporal input measures equipment,” he nods in the direction of the machine in the corner, “and it turns out that this room was made with material that is time-resistant, so i completed the machine’s secondary purpose of monitoring any temporal anomalies, aside from you.”

 

“Ah,” you say, “So that’s why you asked me to load the entire day thrice two days again and another few times yesterday,” you nod in understanding.

 

Sans nods, “though, don’t take this as me forgiving you quite just yet. it’s just that you possibly have more experience with temporal anomalies than i do, or would have.”

 

“All I had to go off of was what the game told me, along with some half-baked fan theories,” you reply.

 

He just nods, and turns to the T.I.M.E., “now, let’s get this baby up and running,” and then he walks up to it and starts inputting start-up codes.

 

The first thing you see is a list of anomalies and why they are anomalies. Huh. There are at least 23 anomalies present in the Underground, but there are two that stand out to you.

 

Anomaly Alias: John Andrews

Known Anomalous Features: Temporal, Soul, Universe

 

Anomaly Alias: Flower?

Known Anomalous Features: No Soul Signature, Possible Precognition?

 

You turn to Sans, “Sans, I know about the flower anomaly,” you tell him, and he cocks an eyesocket, “It does not have precognition, and definitely has no Soul.”

 

His eye lights dimmed in worry, “then what other anomalies does it have?”

 

You look around, asking “Is there any place it can not burrow into?”

 

“this place is outside of time and space in all technicalities, so it can’t burrow in here, kid. it’s also extremely soundproofed to the outside.”

 

You first ask “What do you know about Determination?”

 

Sans responds with “i saw what eventually became of the fallen monsters alphys asked for, becoming those… amalgamates. what of it?”

 

“Determination gives things the will to live, so Alphys injected some Golden Flowers with it, but none of them showed any difference, so she gave Asgore one of those Golden Flowers as a gift.”

 

“and?” is all he says, sweating with worry.

 

You brace yourself, rushing out “That flower happened to be planted where Prince Asriel turned to dust. And he was able to Save and Load.”

 

At first, Sans looked confused, but when the realization hit him, his eye sockets went dark.

 

“so what you’re telling me is that alphys unknowingly revived a dead prince, who then became ruler of the entire timeline?”

 

You nod, sitting down.

 

“That’s not the worst part. The worst part is that even though he’s genocided multiple times, he’s  _ required _ for the destruction of the barrier.”

 

“there’s something else you aren’t telling me,” he growls at you, though you think it’s unintentional. You nod.

 

You start to cry, starting to feel sins crawl down your back.

 

“It’s a necessary evil, but I’ve got him in an arrangement,” you start through your sobs, “If I tell him information about what’s in store, then he’ll not sabotage any arrangements I make for the Angel. What I’m surprised more about is that he’s kept it this long,” you tell him, sobbing harder.

 

It seems that your sobbing has broken through. Bit by bit, his expression fades from anger, and into something more apologetic.

 

“gee, john,” you look at him, eyes still watering, “i’m sorry, i got a little carried away there. i’m a big ol’  _ bonehead _ at times,” you stop, and look at him.

 

Taking this as you listening, Sans continues, “ _ tibia _ -nest, i just needed more information on why you are doing that. now that ain’t a  _ fibula _ ,” your sniffling slows, “ _ patella _ the truth, but don’t  _ cranium _ your neck too far, or else i’ll have to tell a  _ femur _ jokes,” he finally says, and you start giggling.

 

“You’re different from the other Sanses,” you begin to tell him, “I bet that I were with one of those ones, you would’ve gave me a bad time for the ages, which would’ve ended with a dunking.”

 

Sans gives a chuckle, “well, i wouldn’t have gone  _ that _ far; you’re too good of a kid to deserve any of that,” he picks you up gently, “but i’m not one of those sanses. you’re stuck with me, kiddo.”

 

Setting you on the worktable, Sans gets back to the machine, and continues. A few minutes later, he gives a sigh of completion.

 

“want to see how messed up the timeline has gotten?” he asks, and you eagerly nod. Sans presses a few more buttons and then a recording of the timeline up to now is shown on the screen.

 

You can immediately tell that the enormous mass of lines before the point of your arrival is Flowey’s control. Comparing it to a ball of yarn would be an understatement; instead, it resembles an extremely messily made ball of rubber bands, with loops going everywhere.

 

Next to it, however, is your control. Unlike Flowey’s control, yours looks mostly straight, with only the occasional bump. You feel proud of yourself.

 

Looking next to you, Sans’ eye lights are pinpricks of light in his sockets. He turns to you, sweating.

 

“are you sure he’s extremely important to our freedom?” he asks you.

 

You nod slowly and nervously, “Six human Souls plus the entire Underground,” you start, “but at least after fighting the Angel in a few years, all of those Souls will make him feel emotions again, so he’ll destroy the barrier because ‘it’s the right thing to do’. Just hope the Angel isn’t one of the Reset-happy ones.”

 

Sans turns to you, “The Angel will gain control of the timeline?” he asks, nervous. You nod.

 

“Red Soul, color of Determination. I’ve got a feeling that I’ve only got enough Determination in my Soul to override Flowey’s. But, considering how my Soul is, I doubt I’ll be able to contain enough Determination to override the Angel’s.”

 

“okay, i’ll take your word for it, but what i think that you should be more careful about what you tell the weedy little prince,” Sans tells you, and you nod.

 

“Can you make sure nothing bad happens during the interview? Specifically flower-related problems?” you ask him, and he nods, “Though don’t call him anything related to Asriel, because he’ll know I told you, and then he’ll do worse than kill me.”

 

Sans studies your face for a few seconds, then comes to a conclusion.

 

“that expression on your face… it tells me that he has killed you at least once. i am kind of surprised that you’re still at maximum mental and emotional potential, you should have had at least one breakdown from that.”

 

You smile, “Well, I’m that one weirdo who, when told by someone that they killed me in a previous timeline that I don’t remember, instead of being scared or angry, I’d instead ask for every grisly detail about my death.”

 

Sans gives an awkward chuckle, “well, that’s certainly better than dwelling on the fact that you died.”

 

“One last thing,” you say, and Sans looks at you, “He has pissed you off in other timelines, to the point where he’ll avoid you at any cost. Which means you’d technically be the best option in protecting me.”

 

“well, you’ve got me there. hope he won’t attack while you’re airing,” he says, and takes your hand, to leave the workshop.

 

* * *

  
  


When you both leave the workshop, your phone is bombarded with texts by Alphys, due to the workshop being disconnected.

 

ALPHYS: ohmygod where r u

ALPHYS: mettaton just requested u to be there

ALPHYS: he just keeps calling me

ALPHYS: asking me when you’ll come

ALPHYS: u should be here by now

ALPHYS: hes still waiting

ALPHYS: its been half an hour since you shouldve arrived

ALPHYS: omg wat will i do???

 

You wince, the sheer amount of sorries you’ve got for this, so you respond to her.

 

SAVEscummer: sry

SAVEscummer: phone was on silence

ALPHYS: thank god

ALPHYS: you answered

SAVEscummer: i was just doing something with sans

ALPHYS: wait, y? nevermind, i just need you to get here

SAVEscummer: how about i get there when i shouldve been there?

ALPHYS: how?

ALPHYS: ...

ALPHYS: oh wait

ALPHYS: brainfart

ALPHYS: holding fragment

 

Chuckling, you tell Sans and text Papyrus that you need to Load, in which both are okay.

 

“WHY DID YOU NEED TO LOAD? I’M SURE YOU HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN ANYTHING, HAVE YOU?” Papyrus asks.

 

“I, uh, forgot a pen, yeah!” you grab a pen, “For autographs from Mettaton.”

 

He looks instantly happier.

 

“REALLY? GET ONE DOZEN AUTOGRAPHS FOR ME, PLEASE,” he says before running out the door.

 

Shrugging, you leave the house.

 

You feel a buzzing in your pocket.

 

ALPHYS: it will be done in the mtt resort restaurant.

 

Huh, that place has been turned into the Resort by now.

 

“kid, want a shortcut?” Sans asks, and you nod, taking his hand.

 

When you both turn the corner, you instantly feel warmer, and when you look again, you’re in front of the Resort.

 

“well kid, here we are. mtt resort. mind me coming in after you?” you shake your head, “alright, i’ll be right there.”

 

When you walk into the restaurant, the receptionist looks at you.

 

“Unless you have a reservation, you cannot enter,” they say.

 

“I might not have a reservation, but I was invited here by Mettaton,” you then them, but they look at you skeptically.

 

“Let me tell you something; a lot of people tell me that when they try sneaking in, and when Mettaton comes to verify, they always are turned down,” they respond.

 

You turn around and lower your head, grumbling.

 

“NOW WHERE COULD THAT LITTLE DARLING BE?” you hear, and look up to see, in all of his rectangular glory, Mettaton. Beaming, you run up to him.

 

“Me! Me! I’m here Mettaton!” you say excitedly while bouncing up and down.

 

“AH! THERE YOU ARE DARLING! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR QUITE SOME TIME FOR YOU. EVER SINCE THE JERRY INCIDENT YOU HAD LAST WEEK,” he says. With a bit of thinking that this was before Mettaton decided to fight you to leave the Underground, to Spare humanity from Asgore, “AND AREN’T YOU THE MOST HANDSOME LITTLE THING!”

 

You blush, still slightly ashamed of the incident.

 

“NOW, I’VE MADE IT A POINT TO PERSONALLY DO THE DRESSING OF HAIR AND CLOTHING FOR EVERY WELL-KNOWN INDIVIDUAL OF WHOM I INTERVIEW. ARE YOU READY, DARLING?” you nod, “WONDERFUL! THIS WAY, DARLING!” he says, as you follow him down a corridor.

 

After a minute of walking, you both stop at a door.

 

“YOU FIRST, DARLING,” he tells you, and you walk in.

 

The first thing you think when you enter the dressing room is wonder why a robot would need so much clothing, even in his EX form.

 

“NOW DARLING, WE’VE GOT ALL MORNING TO DO THIS. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOURSELF TO LOOK?”

 

“Eh, I’d like to be done in a Beauty Base Zero type of look,” you respond.

 

“BEAUTY BASE ZERO… I’M UNSURE ON WHAT TECHNIQUE THAT WOULD BE.”

 

“Well, Beauty Base Zero is when you get me to look as close to myself as possible, with minimal use of makeup products, and being a boy… I’m not much into that,” you respond.

 

“BUT WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO LOOK SO MUCH LIKE YOURSELF?” he questions, an exclamation mark showing on his screen.

 

“Because,” you take a breath, “I want people to still recognize me as who I am, but I will also look better than I usually am, so that I can feel like myself.”

 

“BE LIKE YOURSELF…” he ponders, then an exclamation appears on his panels, “OF COURSE! AND BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF MY BEAUTIFUL SELF WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER, THUS MAKING YOU LOOK BETTER!”

 

You nod, half understanding the logic.

 

“WELL, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? LET’S GET STARTED!”

 

* * *

  
  


The dressing took several hours, but in the end, you left the room looking much better than before.

 

You walk over to the SAVE point, and Save.

 

*Wanting to make the future better for Frisk and Mettaton fills you with Determination.

 

You both head off to the restaurant, at the stage, and you hop on.

 

“looking stylish there, kid.” Sans comes up to you. You smile.

 

“Do you think it  _ suits _ me?” you say, gesturing to the tuxedo you decided to wear. It was a little too big at first, but with crafty cutting, you and Mettaton managed to get it to a wearable size for you, considering it was the smallest they had.

 

“heh, i think so. i’d hate to ad _ dress _ you,” he replies.

 

“How about you  _ clothes _ your mouth?” you tell him.

 

“only if you  _ shoe _ me away,” Sans responds, chuckling.

 

“ _ Leather _ or not if you want to, we start in a minute,” you say, tapping an imaginary watch on your wrist.

 

“we’re continuing this later,” he says, laughing as he walks away.

 

One minute later, you and Mettaton start filming.

 

“HELLO TO MY WONDERFUL BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! TODAY, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL GUEST. KNOWN AS JOHN ANDREWS, OR ON THE UNDERNET, THE JERRY SPARER, WE HAVE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME INTERVIEW WITH… A HUMAN!” Mettaton claps his hands, and has audience background clapping playing, “DARLING, WON’T YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO EVERYONE?”

 

You look around for a few seconds, at the audience currently present. Some were looking at you in wonder, some looked cautious and scared, and others looked at you with scorn. You take a deep breath.

 

“Hello there, Underground! As Mettaton told you, I’m John Andrews, a human, and apparently called the Jerry Sparer,” you start off, chuckling.

 

“NOW, JOHN, CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?” Mettaton asks you.

 

“Well, I only stayed in the Underground for nearly three weeks. Of that time, I spent the first week in the Ruins.”

 

“CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE THERE?” he continues.

 

You decide to be cheeky, saying “It was a bit crumbly, and not much, but it felt like Home,” with your hand over your Soul. Mettaton cues an audience ‘awww’.

 

“But, I had something important to do, so I had to leave for Snowdin. It hurt to leave the caretaker, but I hope that she understood,” you say, dropping your head.

 

“OOH, SOMETHING JUICY! IF I MAY ASK, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SPOIL TO US WHAT THE IMPORTANT MISSION?” he asks you, a question mark showing up.

 

You give a ‘sure, why not’ shrug, and look directly at the cameras, saying “My purpose here is to prepare the Underground for the arrival of the Angel of the Prophecy.”

 

“MY, MY. WHAT A NOBLE GOAL. DO YOU, BY CHANCE, KNOW WHEN THE ANGEL WILL ARRIVE?”

 

“Three years from the day I fell into the Underground,” you reply, smiling.

 

“OH MY! THAT’S SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR, FROM NOW. TELL ME: DO YOU HOPE THAT THEY WILL ACCEPT YOUR HELP?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“WELL, THAT EXPLAINS A LOT. NOW, ONTO OTHER THINGS; WHY DID YOU SPARE JERRY LAST WEEK?” Mettaton asks accusingly.

 

“Well, I was working on a puzzle with a friend, who was having trouble with human-stoppability,” you start, “but it failed midway due to a glitch. Jerry came up, and said something he’d usually say. I got fed up, and tried attacking him,” you say, cue shocked gasp.

 

“WHAT PREVENTED YOU?” Mettaton asked, fake horror.

 

“The same friend I was helping. He used what I suspect to be his special attack to stop me, but I wasn’t just going to let Jerry off the hook. So I did the thing he hates most; I Spared him, so that any Jerry would avoid me for the rest of eternity,” you say, putting on a mock insane face.

 

“I THINK THAT WOULD LEAD US TO ANOTHER CORE TOPIC,” he starts, “YOUR SOUL. THE VIDEO DID NOT PROVIDE A GOOD ANGLE ON YOUR SOUL, AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE BIG QUESTION: WHY SHOULD WE NOT KILL YOU FOR YOUR SOUL?”

 

You smile at him.

 

“Do you want to see it?”

 

* * *

  
  


There is silence in the room. You could plausibly hear a pin drop in the silence.

 

“YOU WOULD LIKE US TO SEE YOUR SOUL?” he asks, and you nod. A few seconds pass, before he answers with “THAT’S FABULOUS!”

 

He gets into a more suitable position.

 

“BE WARNED, DARLING. SHOWING YOUR SOUL WITHOUT IT PRECEDING AN ENCOUNTER IS A MAJOR SIGN OF TRUST BETWEEN TWO INDIVIDUALS. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO SHOW ME YOUR SOUL?” he asks, and you nod.

 

“Though be warned, it does not look like any Soul you’ve seen, or will ever see,” you warn them, and everyone you can see nods.

 

You hold your left hand over your Soul, and bring it away. You snap the strings holding your Soul, and at once, your Soul comes into existence.

 

Most monsters in the room recoil at the sight of your Soul, Sans looks bored, while Mettaton takes a closer look.

 

“YOUR SOUL MIGHT LOOK STRANGE AND SCARY AT FIRST, BUT IN ITS OWN WAY, IT’S BEAUTIFUL,” he says contemplatively.

 

“Due to its… condition, it would be unusable for the Barrier,” you state, “but thanks. That means a lot to me.”

 

“OKAY, DARLING, I BELIEVE YOU,” Mettaton says, still in thought.

 

“Another thing about my Soul is the color of it,” you state.

 

“AND WHAT WOULD THE TRAIT BE?”

 

Smiling, you say “Determination.”

 

“WHAT DESCRIBES THE TRAIT OF ‘DETERMINATION’?” he asks, still looking at your Soul.

 

“I’ll do anything I set my mind to, and won’t stop until my goal is achieved the way I want it,” you say, smiling devilishly.

 

A minute later, he backs up, and says “WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE FOR US TO KNOW ABOUT YOU BEFORE WE WRAP THIS UP?”

 

You perk up, “Well actually, there’s one other interesting thing about me that I think you should know.”

 

“AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE, DARLING?” he asks in interest.

 

You smile, “I can hear the Themes of places and certain Monsters.”

 

Pandemonium breaks out due to excitement, and you are asked several questions regarding it.

 

“MY MY MY! WE’VE GOT A LISTENER IN HERE!” Mettaton says, “THAT’S A RARE GIFT TO HAVE, EVEN AMONG MONSTERS. YOU MIGHT BE THE ONLY HUMAN TO HAVE THAT ABILITY. NOW TELL ME: WHAT THEME IS MOST PROMINENT TO YOU AT THIS MOMENT?”

 

You look right at Sans, asking with your eyes if you should tell them, in which he nods.

 

“It belongs to a friend of mine, who also occasionally does acts here. The Theme is named ‘It’s Raining Somewhere Else’.”

 

“MY, MY! A FRIEND’S THEME, THEY MUST BE IMPORTANT TO YOU, FOR IT TO OVERWHELM MY FABULOUS SELF’S THEME!” and you nod.

 

“Would you like to hear my Theme?” you ask.

 

“WE WOULD LOVE TO, DARLING,” he begins, “BUT IF ONLY IT WERE POSSIBLE.”

 

You smile, “My Theme is one three Themes that anyone can hear,” you pause, “though a warning to everyone: it might be unsettling to some people.”

 

“WARNING NOTED, HANDSOME. NOW, START A FIGHT WITH ME,” Mettaton tells you.

 

You concentrate on starting a Fight with Mettaton, and sure enough, the world fades to black and white.

 

Megalovania is playing in the background.

 

Most monsters look ready to flee. Some, like the fish receptionist, have already started fleeing. Sans is looking at everyone as if everyone was going insane.

 

“what? it’s just the theme of a potentially dangerous person,” he says as casually  as if it were the most normal thing anyone can say.

 

“WELL, IF THIS THEME SHOWED WHAT WAS IN STORE FOR ME, SHOULD WE HAVE BATTLED, THEN EVEN FABULOUS I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I WOULD LOSE!” he says, “WELL, LET’S GIVE THIS YOUNG MAN A GOOD APPLAUSE!” and starts clapping.

 

Other than a few half-hearted claps, everyone looked ready to leave. Sans is the only one giving a full-on clapping.

 

“now that’s what i call a theme!” he shouts, “that should let anyone know not to cause them any trouble.”

 

“WELL, THAT’S ALL WE HAVE FOR HIM TODAY, DARLINGS! SEE YOU NEXT TIME!” Mettaton says, and It’s Showtime plays.

 

You hop off of the stage and head to Mettaton.

 

When you get closer, you see that he is deep in thought.

 

“Hello? Mettaton?”

 

“HMM? OH, YES, DARLING?” he asks.

 

“Are you fine? You seem a bit… out of it at the moment,” you ask him.

 

He gives a sad robotic sigh, “SORRY, IT’S JUST THAT… YOUR MENTION OF THEMES HAS GOT ME THINKING. I PERSONALLY KNEW A LISTENER, AND I JUST LEFT HIM, FOR THE LIFE OF GLAMOUR.

 

You realize who he was talking about.

 

“Wait, do you mean your cousin, Napstablook?” you question, already knowing the answer.

 

“I WON’T ASK YOU HOW YOU KNEW OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, BUT YES,” he nods. Or, as much of a nod a rectangular box on a wheel could.

 

“Well, you know what? I think that you should let him be with you! If he’s that important to you, then try to get him with you! If he makes you happy, then work together! Also,” you lower your voice, “I know for a fact that your show makes him happy.”

 

This seems to perk him up, “WELL, I SUPPOSE I CAN CALL HIM. I HOPE IT WILL GO WELL, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, THANKS DARLING!” he says, and he rolls off quickly.

 

You turn to the SAVE point, and go to it.

 

*Getting over with the interview, and possibly reuniting the two cousins fills you with Determination.

 

You smile at the message, and walk off to look for Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Megalovania slightly intensifies*
> 
> As for Napstablook, they are refered to as male for simplicity's sake. I also decided that the reason he likes music a lot is because he could hear Themes


	10. What Matters is Taking Care of Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You take care of a few more things for the future

You woke up from everything that went on yesterday, with the interview and T.I.M.E. Before going to sleep, you went to check on it with Sans. Apparently, Save-ing produces the tiniest of bumps in the timeline. Thinking that was neat, you both left the workshop.

 

In preparation for Frisk, you made sure to grind out as much gold from Torn Notebooks and selling at the Tem shop, so that you could get to 9999 gold, mostly to keep Muffet off of your back for the rest of your time in the Underground.

 

Sighing, and preparing for the day, you get up and eat what breakfast you could find.

 

By the time you are finished eating, the other two have left their rooms. Not wanting to be rude, you wait until they are finished eating before you Save.

 

“HUMAN JOHN, WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO TODAY?” Papyrus asks you, and you start smiling.

 

“I’m gonna talk with Ms. Muffet,” you say, pausing, “and King Asgore.”

 

“HMM, MUFFET’S PRICES ARE QUITE HIGH, BUT HER BAKERY GOODS ARE QUITE GOOD! THEY ARE ALMOST AS GREAT AS MY OWN!” he says, posing.

 

You chuckle at that in the best way possible, “No doubt, they are.”

 

“ALSO, YOU’RE GOING TO VISIT THE KING?” he asks, and you nod, “WOWIE! PLEASE TELL HIM THAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS SAYS HELLO!” he tells you, and bolts out of the door, no doubtedly to his puzzles.

 

“welp, looks like my main job will begin soon,” Sans says. You give him a look.

 

“And, what is your main job, here?” you ask him.

 

“not allowed to say it outside of the castle. all part of the job,” is all he says.

 

“I’ve got a hunch on what it is,” you tell him conspiratorially, and he just chuckles.

 

“i’m pretty sure you know what it is as well, kiddo,” he tells you.

 

You walk out of the house, and go straight to the Riverperson’s dock.

 

Dark.

 

You stop midstep.

 

Darker.

 

You give a sighing groan.

 

Yet Darker.

 

“Can we please just get this over with? I’ve got some errands to run,” you groan out.

 

“I͟ ̵wou҉l͜d̵ ̵l͏ik͠e ̢th͡at as͢ w̴el͘l͡, youn̨g҉ ̧John͝.” Gaster tells you, and you nod.

 

“Does the Author need anything from me?” you ask. He just shakes his head.

 

“No͞,͏ ̕t͏h͝e͡y do ͠n̴o̶t.” he responds, “Ho҉w̕ev̧e̛r, ̶I ̴h̴av͡e ̛so̴methin͝g to͢ as͟k o͡f ͟yo͟u.”

 

“What is it?” you ask impatiently.

 

“Y̵ou͏ ̕a҉re̢ ͝a̵bout t͜o ̶c͟om҉p̷lete̷ ̷t̡h̡e͢ last̸ ̶o̵bjec̡tiv͏es̶ t̴hat w̸i͏ll̢ gua̸ra͠nt̸ee ̸y͘our͏ ̧own s͞a̕f̧e͢ty i͝n͠ ̨t͠he̛ ͟Und͏erg̷roun̕d.̛” he starts, “I͟ have̢ t͝o͏ ̷ask of ͟y̛o͠u͟: a̕ft͝er̴ ̡you̴ g̢ui̛de t͟he An̛g̛e͞l͢ ͞th͏r̡ou͘g̕h̶ t͝he ̡U̸n̸de͜rgr͞ou̷nd̨,̛ I͠ ͡w͞ou̵ld lik̶ȩ y͝ǫu̕ to͢ tr̛y͏ ̸your͝ be̢st ̕t҉o SAVE̡ m̡e.”

 

“Okay,” you smirk, “but only if you ask me nicely.”

 

Gaster gives a ‘seriously?’ sigh, then asks nicely “M̷ay y̧ou ̡p͏l͢e̸as͢e ̨SA͘V̸E ͟m͏e ͡a͘f͏ter҉ y̵o͢u ģui͡d̨e t̡h͝e͝ ͏A̡n͡g̕e҉l̷?”

 

You give him a bewildered look, “Huh, seriously didn’t think you would do that.”

 

Gaster gives a small smile, “The̕ A̶ut̵hor͡ h̶a͢s a̧ss̶ur̸ed m̷ȩ t͘ha͟t ̵y͜o͠u wi̴lļ SA͠VE͏ me̶,̨ but ̡th̴ey̴ ̧won't̴ giv̕e ex̢a̵çt det̷ails.̷ All t̷he҉y̵ told ̛me ̸w̴as͠ tha̸t y͏ou͘ ͟wo͢u̢l̨d.”

 

You give a sigh, “Well, on another note,” you turn to the Reader, “do you think I should have a catchphrase? I say ‘huh’ a lot, so I think that should be it.”

 

Gaster brings his hand and forehead together gently, and starts softly shaking his head.

 

“I wil͠l ͟s͟t҉il҉l p̵er͞i͞odi̸c̕ally app̸ear͡ ͠t̷o͜ yo͢u ͟to s͘peak̛ wi̸t͠h ̕y҉o̶u̢.̕ ͢So͠meti̷m̕e͡s ͟t̢o h̷elp.̷ Som̕e͏t͜i҉m͡e̶s ̡to gi͢v̶e͞ a̕d̵v̷i͢c͠e͢. ̧It̸ w͞ill ͡no̡t m̴a̧t͢t̵er̷ w͞ha̶t.I wil͠l ͟s͟t҉il҉l p̵er͞i͞odi̸c̕ally app̸ear͡ ͠t̷o͜ yo͢u ͟to s͘peak̛ wi̸t͠h ̕y҉o̶u̢.̕ ͢So͠meti̷m̕e͡s ͟t̢o h̷elp.̷ Som̕e͏t͜i҉m͡e̶s ̡to gi͢v̶e͞ a̕d̵v̷i͢c͠e͢. ̧It̸ w͞ill ͡no̡t m̴a̧t͢t̵er̷ w͞ha̶t.” he pauses, “A͘n͟d ̷w̨i̛l͘l ҉you ͢please ͝st̸op̷ ̡ma̕k̴i͟ng҉ ̧s͜i̧lly f͠a҉ces̵ at̴ ̕ţhe Reader?”

 

“Nope,” you respond, making silly faces at the Reader.

 

Gaster turns to the Reader, “Ple̕as̕e d̕o not͠ ҉mi҉n̸d ḩi͡m. ̨Plea̧se ̸do ņo͡t̸ e̕nco̕u̵r͝age̷ ̶hi͠m̸ ͝as wel͞l͞.”

 

“Aw, why do you have to spoil my fun?” you pout.

 

“I͞'͝l͢l s͡e̷e ̨you͢ ҉w̡hen̶ we ͢n̨ex҉t͠ m͏e̸et, ob͞vi͘o͠u̧sl͏y̴.̢ ͝F̴a͞rew͠e̛lļ.͘” Gaster states to you.

 

“Bye!” you tell him, as the colors come back into the world.

 

* * *

  
  


You continue on your way to the docks, and ask the Riverperson to take you to Hotland, in which they nod as usual.

 

“Tra la la. Can anyone be a good person if they try? Asking for a friend.”

 

You roll your eyes, having heard the first part of the riddle so many times by Sans during genocide route.

 

The boat comes up to the Hotland landing at last, and you hop off of the boat, running to the elevators.

 

You quickly punch the L3 button, and soon enough, you are at Muffet’s Parlor. You head to your left, and stop in front of Muffet.

 

“Ahuhuhu~” she starts off, “Looks like we’ve got another customer~”

 

“Hello there, Ms. Muffet. It’s very nice to meet you,” you say, holding out a hand.

 

Muffet takes your hand with one of hers and shakes it.

 

“My, the spiders in the Ruins sent a telegram a while ago about a human in a red and gold shirt who was very nice to them, and even bought some items. I’m sure you have evidence of the purchase?” she asked.

 

You nod, taking out the donuts and cider. Muffet looks pleased with you.

 

“You are such a darling~” she starts, “And I always like feedback from my customers on how to improve. So, how do you think I could make my bakery items much better for anyone else?”

 

“Honestly,” you wince, “you could start by making things here a bit cheaper.”

 

Muffet looks as if you slapped her across the face, her voice turning cross as she says “And why should I do that, dearie?”

 

You give her a sly smile in favor of her, and tell her “Well, look at it from my perspective. For starters, we all know that in order to maximize profits, you must sell the items at a higher price than what it takes to produce them, right?”

 

“You are correct, dearie, but that’s exactly what I’m doing,” she responds.

 

Your smile becomes wider, as you say “Well, how much does it cost to make a single donut?”

 

“About 10 gold~”

 

“I would suggest lowering the price to 60 gold, so that you will get a net 50 gold for each item sold,” you tell her.

 

“And why would I do that?” Muffet asks skeptically.

 

You smile even wider, telling her “Well, it is quite known among such businesses on the Surface that if you can make things affordable and easily accessible, then you can get more than enough money for any worker, product costs, maintenance, et cetera.”

 

It seems like you are starting to convince her, as she says “Well, I suppose that is possible. But it will only last for so long.”

 

If anyone thought that your smile could get any wider, then they thought wrong, “Well, then you introduce sales and deals. People will always buy things in bigger quantities if it suddenly becomes cheaper. Also, if someone buys regularly, then it would be smart to make things a bit cheaper for them, so that they will keep coming for a long time, buying even more at a time.”

 

It seems like Muffet is almost completely convinced, as she says, “I do suppose that it could work. I’ll look into it in the meantime. Thanks for your feedback dearie~”

 

You wave goodbye as you walk back to the elevator, feeling like you helped majorly for the future.

 

* * *

  
  


You take the elevator to R3, wanting to get to the Resort quicker, and quickly cross the lobby to get to the CORE. Luckily, the elevator through it is working, so you swiftly get through it.

 

Long Elevator plays as you take the long elevator to New Home. When you leave it, you immediately go to the SAVE point. Like in-game, there is no message.

 

The monochrome is hurting your eyes, so you rush through New Home as fast as you can, then you arrive at Asgore’s house. Undertale is playing, and is soothing to your ears.

 

Huh, it appears that the monsters who usually tell the story aren’t here right now, so you breeze through getting the keys and unlocking the chain. You quickly get through the rest of the walkway, walk into the Judgement Hall, and Save, walking up to the three pillars.

 

Three church bells ring throughout the hall, and when they end, Sans begins his judgement of you.

 

“You finally made it. The end of your journey is finally at hand. In a few moments, you’ll meet the king. Together… you’ll determine the fate of the Underground,” he says, then briefly breaks out of his silhouette, saying “this was the part where I was supposed to explain EXP and LOVE to you, but you apparently know what it is, right, kid?” he asks, and you nod.

 

Going back into his silhouette, he continues, The Choice playing all around,  “You know, there is a question for those who have committed major sins. The question being, ‘Do you think even the worst person can change...? That anyone can be a good person, if they just try?’”

 

“I’ve heard you say that quote before, on the worst route,” you say, lowering your gaze.

 

Sans just nods, finally breaking out of the silhouette for good, “but, i believe that you are an example of the second question,” you look straight at him, eyes wide, “that you  _ are _ trying to be a good person.”

 

“Well, yeah? The biggest part of that question is  _ try _ . If you put in no effort, then it would be harder to be good.”

 

Sans nods again, “i see a kid who’s just trying to make up for everything he has done wrong, and won’t stop at anything to atone. heck, you even owned up to it. even when it’s hard, you push on, wanting to make yourself and everyone’s lives better for it.”

 

“What are you saying, Sans?” you ask him, desperately wanting to hear whether or not if he forgives you.

 

“what i’m saying kid,” he starts saying, walking towards you, “is that despite all the wrongs you’ve done to us back there…” you’re pulled into a hug, “i forgive you.”

 

You feel like you could scream in happiness, but that would just be awkward for everyone, so you just nod.

 

“and everyone has been talking, though mostly just me, but we think that you should start training in magic. just in case the angel fulfills the… bad half of the prophecy,” Sans says, and you widen your eyes in surprise and glee.

 

“Really? You guys are gonna start training me in use of actual MAGIC?” you ask excitedly, and Sans nods.

 

“i have taken liberty to be your first instructor, because what i’ll teach you first will be shortcuts, since you’re already all over the place with your arrangements,” Sans says, and you look at him in excitement and humor.

 

“What, will that be before or after you teaching me the art of being a lazybones?” you ask to him humorously.

 

Sans chuckles, “take it one step at a time.”

 

You nod, then he straightens up.

 

“i’ll meet you up ahead, to make sure you don’t accidentally become a kid-kebab,” he says, and you giggle at it, even though it’s a very dark joke.

 

You blink, and Sans is gone. Smiling, you walk out of the Judgement Hall.

 

* * *

  
  


You walk up to the throne room, and Sans is right outside of it.

 

“ready, john?” he asks, and you nod, walking into the throne room.

 

Sans clears his non-existent throat, then says “your majesty, i have something for you to see.”

 

You hear Asgore respond, “Oh, Sans? Just a moment, let me finish watering these flowers,” and you hear him sprinkle the last of the water from his watering can, and then turn around, “Howdy, how can I-” he pauses, and looks shocked, but not in the same way as in-game.

 

Recovering, he says “I’m sorry, I never expected a human to get this far.”

 

Sans chuckles, “yeah, this kid was pretty determined to get here, but not to fight. in fact, they have quite a few things to discuss with you.”

 

Asgore clears his throat, “I’m sorry, but I can’t. They are the remaining Soul to the Barrier.”

 

“that’s the thing, your majesty. you can’t take their soul.”

 

Asgore looks perplexed, “How do you mean?”

 

Sans takes a deep breath, before telling him “their soul is unusable for the barrier. it’s in a condition that prevents it from being taken.”

 

Asgore looks even more confused, “How so?”

 

“kid, i think that you should show him, to get the point across.”

 

You nod, before turning to Asgore, “Though you should brace yourself, because apparently to most Monsters, it’s quite unsettling,” and he nods.

 

You glitch your Soul into existence, and as usual, the rapid shifting flickering nature of it catches Asgore off guard, but he quickly regains composure.

 

“Alright, I can see how such a Soul would be unusable for the Barrier. But, what should I do with you in the meantime?” he asks.

 

You smile, “I would suggest by starting with some tea and pie.”

 

Asgore’s eyes turn sad at the mention of pie, “Sorry, little one, but alas, I am in no supply of the latter, so we’ll just have to settle with tea.”

 

Your smile becomes wider, “Good thing I came prepared,” you say, and slowly and dramatically produce from your inventory the pies Toriel gave you on your first day.

 

Asgore’s eyes become wide with memory as you hold out the cinnamon-butterscotch pie.

 

“H-How did you acquire those pies? Never mind, that can wait for later. And for the other thing- well, I can’t turn down having some tea with such a small and kind child. Let us go back to my home, then we could discuss things,” he says, clearly overjoyed.

 

He reaches out his big fluffy paw to you, and you gladly take it. You see a SAVE point not usually there appear, and as you pass it, you touch it.

 

*Talking down the King of All Monsters without fighting fills you with Determination.

 

You smile, glad that things are working out for the best. You hope things will continue to get better as time passes on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna be a bit harder to write the True Pacifist Ending now, isn't it?


	11. What Matters is the Time That Passes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A whole bunch of time skips, most of them dealing with magic

“you sure about this, kid?” Sans asks you, and you nod, “alright, i’ll start.”

 

You and Sans are standing at the door to the Ruins. It has been a few weeks since you had your talk with Asgore, who managed to change the human-catching policy. A human’s fate now rests upon their LOVE and EXP, with you and Sans being the first ones to respond to Asgore himself the LOVE of any potential human, every step of the way. Undyne is even going to make you an unofficial Royal Guard, along with Papyrus (no one wants to upset that cinnamon roll).

 

Sans starts with two knocks, and a few seconds, you hear Toriel respond with ‘who’s there?’

 

Managing to hold back your giggles for a couple of jokes, but then drops the quasi joke that you two thought of.

 

“my child,” Sans says.

 

“M-my child who?” Toriel chokes out from emotion.

 

“now, i’m not your child, but they’re here to talk with you,” he says, then mutters to you “you’re up, kid.”

 

You step up to the door, and say to it “Mom?”

 

You hear a gasp from the other side, then hear the mechanisms behind the door begin, and you take a step back.

 

When the groaning of the mechanisms finally stops, the door swings open, and in the threshold, Toriel is standing there. You lock eyes with her, then run to her.

 

When in range, she grabs hold of you in an enveloping hug, and you hug her back.

 

“John, I thought that I would never see you again,” she says, having silent tears, “I thought that he… ASGORE, would’ve taken your Soul.”

 

“well, if you don’t mind, may you let us in to talk a bit? we both have a few things to discuss,” Sans says, and Toriel turns to him.

 

“Oh, sorry. I don’t think we’ve officially met yet,” she says.

 

“the name’s sans. sans the skeleton,” he says, holding out his left hand.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sans the skeleton. I’m Tori-” Toriel starts, but the whoopie cushion goes off.

 

When it finally comes to a stop, there is a shocked silence, but you immediately go into giggles. A few seconds later, Toriel starts giggling and snorting, with Sans giving his signature grin.

 

Once her laughing stops, she steps aside, letting you and Sans inside. After a couple of minutes of walking, you arrive at the stairs, running up them two at a time.

 

“Come down, and use them one at a time!” Toriel tells you. You whine, but you comply.

 

“Don’t want you to risk falling and getting hurt, now don’t we?” she says, and you nod annoyedly.

 

When you are all settled at the table, you begin to explain.

 

“Well, got to get the biggest thing out of the way, I met Asgore a few weeks ago,” you start.

 

Toriel looks at you as if you said you did the dumbest thing in the world, in which to her, you did.

 

“But my child, how did you survive such an encounter? With Asgore, of all things?” she asks you.

 

You smile, “We managed to talk him out of it, first by showing him the condition of my Soul, then I suggested doing a thing he would have a hard time refusing; having some tea.”

 

“And what did you discuss with that… man?” Toriel questions.

 

“We discussed the rule about humans. Most of the significant Monsters by that time liked me enough to at least tolerate my presence, so I could stay in the Underground if I want,” you start off, “We managed to talk him into changing it. Now, humans will only be killed for their Souls if their LOVE and EXP are above certain levels. A lesser evil might still be an evil regardless, but it is much better than what it was before.”

 

Toriel closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, before saying “Okay, I can see how that could work,” she opens her eyes, “But what have you been doing in the meantime? And have you found anything about your Soul?”

 

You nod, “Yes, but the whole explanation is kind of confusing if you don’t have enough knowledge about the multiverse theory,” you pause, and Toriel just nods, “but it has been looking more stable ever since I started magic training.”

 

“Oh, you’ve started training in magic?” Toriel questions, and you nod.

 

“Yep, but apparently I won’t be summoning bullets, much less fire or bones,” you say, shrugging.

 

Toriel turns to Sans, asking “Wait, you and your brother have been trying to teach him how to summon bones?”

 

Sans just nods, “figured that since the kid is human, and since all humans are just meat covering bones,” he winks, and you are snickering, “it would be easiest for him to learn bone attacks,” he sighs, “but apparently he is unable to summon bullets. period.”

 

You nod, pinching the bridge of your nose, “So we decided to focus on magic that would work on the Soul, like Soul modes and shortcuts.”

 

Toriel looks at you blankly, before asking “What do you mean by shortcuts?”

 

You look at her, realizing what you said, “Oh, shortcutting. Yeah. Really neat,” you give Sans a gaze that precisely asks him “Can I show her?”

 

He just shrugs and nods, saying “If you want to, you could.”

 

Nodding excitedly, you get off of your chair and walk to the entrance of the living room. You close your eyes, and concentrate on where to pull your Soul into existence. Once you get the location in your head, you push your Soul into that location.

 

You know that it has worked when you hear Toriel give a surprised gasp, the first half several feet away, then the other half right in front of you. You open your eyes, and she is right in front of you.

 

You feel lightheaded after doing it, not unusual ever since you started learning. You start stumbling in place, and before it could get any worse, Sans shortcuts himself next to you and steadies you.

 

“woah, take it easy there, kid. you’ve only got the basics down, you’ve got to take it easy,” he says. You nod.

 

“According to Sans, once I master it, I will be able to shortcut myself across the entire Underground without feeling dizzy,” you tell her excitedly, and she laughs kindly.

 

“well, sorry to cut this a little short, but the kid and i have to leave. paps was really looking forward to testing his new puzzles,” Sans says.

 

“Wait,” she says before you both could shortcut away, “If you can please do an old lady a favor, but can you please come over occasionally, John, so that you may continue your lessons?”

 

You nod happily, “When would it start?”

 

Toriel appears to have perked up at your willingness to continue, “Monday, of next week, please.”

 

“Okay, see you then,” you tell her, then both you and Sans shortcut back into Snowdin Forest, hardly being able to wait until next week.

 

* * *

  
  


It has been several weeks since the visit to Toriel’s, and you spend the mornings taking lessons with Toriel and exploring most of the Ruins during the morning breaks (you can now “glitch”, as you call your shortcuts now, past the Ruins door without becoming lightheaded, which has made her happy to not open the doors) and spending the rest of the day in various locations in the Underground depending on the day.

 

To make up for your lack of ability to summon anything, the brothers have taken to teaching you how to turn your Soul blue, in which due to how much time you spend with them, their magic has somewhat rubbed off on you, resulting in rapid learning of blue mode.

 

“come on, even a babybones can jump higher,” Sans challenges, and you, determined to prove him wrong, push yourself to jump even higher. You feel like you could easily jump over their house in one bound at this point, even a bit further.

 

The stability of your Soul, in the meantime, has increased, looking more appropriately-shaped for one second out of ten. It seems that the more things you can do with your Soul, the more stable it becomes.

 

When you are finished with this wave of bones, Papyrus arrives with spaghetti in tow.

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! COME, BROTHERS, AND LET US CELEBRATE THE LATEST SHOWING OF METTATON’S NEWEST SHOW, COOKING WITH A KILLER ROBOT!” he shouts to you, and you blush bashfully, having guest-starred in the season premiere earlier this week. The humor was cheesy, pun intended, and had too much glitter and sequins than humans thought was safe, but it was fun nonetheless. Napstablook and Mettaton have reunited, and as a result, the music has become exponentially better, though Napstablook disappears to get away once in a while.

 

“keep practicing on your blue mode, and maybe by next week you’ll be able to change the direction of your gravity,” Sans tells you, and you pump your fist as you walk into the house.

 

* * *

  
  


“GAME NIGHT!” Undyne yells as she enters the house, and you have to restrain a groan. She has been using multiple excuses for the past month to spend as much time with you to help teaching you green mode, ever since you mastered blue mode.

 

The main game of the night is Monopoly. You win every game that you play that night, with copious amounts of Loading.

 

“NGAHHH! Why do you keep rewinding? It completely ruins the entire purpose of winning!” she yells at you.

 

You snicker “Because I think it’s funny to see you fume at my timey-wimey shenanigans.”

 

Undyne gazes at you threateningly as she says “You think that’s funny? I’ll show YOU funny!” and lunges at you.

 

Laughing, you glitch yourself to the Riverperson, and tell them to take you to Waterfall. They give a random in-game quote before you arrive at the destination.

 

Using blue mode, you flip yourself onto the ceiling and crouch low. A few seconds later, you see Undyne sprint into the area. After a few seconds of looking around, she looks up, and sure enough spots you, due to the brightness of your shirt’s colors.

 

“Can’t get me!” you say playfully. Whoops, wrong thing to say.

 

You were surprised that Undyne could jump that high, because the next thing you knew, you were tumbling towards the ground, blue mode having failed.

 

“This ought to teach you a lesson, punk!” she tells you, then starts aggressively giving you noogies.

 

“Nooo!” you whine, but still laughing.

 

“Lesson taught!” she declares triumphantly.

 

You spend the rest of the night practicing turning your Soul green, Undyne being the type of teacher to encourage without scolding.

 

* * *

  
  


“Ahuhuhu, it’s nice to hear from you again, dearie~” Muffet says as you walk into her parlor for the 17th time that month. You nod as you walk in, giving her the gold coins you agreed to take the purple mode lessons with.

 

The only reason she allowed you to take lessons with her on purple mode was because you helped her business skyrocket, along with your rather large amount of pocket gold and willingness to help her prepare pastries for the next day for free.

 

“Alright, I’ve got a special treat for you to do tonight~” she starts.

 

“What would that be?” you ask anxiously.

 

“I want you to walk across this tightrope web, covered in spiders, and before my pet can get you. Should you fail, you shall be an excellent addition to my next batch~” Muffet finishes.

 

Glitching out your Soul (Muffet was one of few Monsters who didn’t seem unsettled by your Soul, saying that a willing customer was a willing customer, regardless of Soul), you are glad that purple mode at least improves your balance on such thin areas to walk.

 

Gulping, you hope that you won’t be needing to Load.

 

* * *

  
  


Today is your (technically eighth) birthday, and you know that there is going to be a surprise for you back at the skelebros’ house.

 

You are spending the morning and half of the afternoon in the Ruins, so you go exploring of actual Home for most of the morning. Despite being crumbly, you use the most of your Soul modes to navigate safely through. Your phone rings at noon.

 

“Hello? John, may you please come home? I’ve got a surprise for you,” Toriel says through the receiver.

 

“Okay, Mom,” you respond, hanging up after. You quickly glitch yourself to the front door.

 

When you walk in, you immediately smell pie.

 

“Surprise! I wanted to celebrate for the amount of time we have left today together, to be as special as we can make it,” Toriel says to you while walking into the foyer. You bounce happily, then run into the living room.

 

You spend the rest of the time there reading and coloring, when you hear gentle rapping on the doorframe. Bony knuckles, to be exact.

 

“heya, kid. say goodbye to tori for tonight, because the surprise is ready,” he tells you, and you squeal in excitement.

 

You run to Toriel, telling her “Bye, Mom! The surprise is ready!” and you hug her, in which she hugs you back. You run back to Sans, tugging on his jacket, and he just chuckles.

 

“heh, since it’s your special day, how about  _ you _ show me a shortcut?” he suggests, and you, determined to make it work, reach up to his shoulder, and start leading him out the door.

 

Taking someone is a lot harder than just yourself, but with Sans using a small bit of his own shortcutting, you arrive in front of the house with minimal lightheadedness. You walk in through the front door.

 

When you turn on the lights, everyone jumps out at you and yells surprise. You smile widely at that, and look around.

 

It appears that everyone is here, and most presents (and bullet-themed gift cards) are surrounding the SAVE point. Asgore is standing awkwardly at the stairs, and you are suspicious about that, but you are more focused on what’s on the table.

 

For the presents, you got a do-it-yourself science kit from Sans (“was expecting more of a  _ reaction _ ”), a cookbook from Papyrus (“SO THAT WE BOTH CAN BECOME THE GREATEST CHEFS”), a spear from Undyne (“Use it against your enemies, or in the most awesome game of darts!”), a case of the latest season of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie from Alphys (“I-it’s a good season, I-I promise!”), a pink leather jacket from Mettaton (“YOU  _ DID _ TELL ME TOUGH GUYS WEAR PINK”), some of Napstablook’s newest music (“i hope you like it………), and a new tea set with Golden Flower Tea from Asgore (“So that you can enjoy the taste of exquisite tea any time you want”).

 

You can tell that there is something off, because the air of anticipating another present is there, and you look around, hoping to spot it.

 

Sans and Papyrus walk over to Asgore.

 

“your majesty, but may you please move over?” Sans asks.

 

You feel that it was staged, because Asgore casually said “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to be right here,” and moved. You felt your eyes bulging in happiness at the last present.

 

There is a brand new door, right beside the television, with your name on it. You run to open it. Lo and behold, the room was apparently entirely today, with the faint smell of drying paint.

 

The walls are painted in red and gold stripes, with a ‘blue mode’ blue, plush carpet. There is a bed in matching colors in the back left corner, along with what appears to be a chart with an animated picture of your Soul over the headboard. At the base of the bed was a bunch of bones, you suspect supplied by the brothers, and in the right corner closer to you is a desk with a computer. To the left of the desk is a few empty shelves, you suspect for you to put items on yourself.

 

You turn to the brothers, happy disbelief written on your face.

 

“WE HOPE YOU LIKE IT, JOHN,” Papyrus says.

 

“you’ve been like a little brother to the three of us,” Sans continues.

 

You look at them confusedly, before realizing who the third was. You barrel into the two currently-existing brothers, having happy tears. When you finish, you leave the room, and the party resumes.

 

When the party ends, everyone slowly leaves, with Asgore being the last, telling that your cyan and orange mode training will start in a fortnight, before closing the door.

 

“well, that was the party of a lifetime, now was it?” Sans says, and you rapidly nod.

 

“IT WAS EVEN COOLER, BY OUR COMBINED COOLNESS, IT REACHED THE GREATEST LEVELS EVER!” Papyrus claims, and both you and Sans nod.

 

When it is time for bed, you crawl up onto the couch, only to remember that you got a new room today, so you rush to your room, embarrassed.

 

When you walk into the room, you immediately notice that a corner of the desk is slightly darker than the rest, and then a black bubble forms on it.

 

Perplexed, you inch closer, and when you’re near it, the bubble vanishes, leaving a USB stick and a note. You pick up the note, and begin reading it.

 

_ John, _

_ Thank you for being a good brother to my brothers over the past fifty-one weeks. Like what they said earlier, I have come to see you like a brother, even though at the beginning it was hard. I hope you continue to be good for my, or should I say our, brothers, for the remaining two years before the Angel. _

_ This USB stick is my present to you, and it contains the information of all of your games from your home universe, allowing you to play them unhindered. That is all. _

_ Gaster, your non-existent yet real brother. _

 

You laugh at the signature note, plug in the USB, and go to the SAVE point.

 

*Being thought as a brother by all three brothers fills you with Determination.

 

You run back to your bed, and fall asleep, smiling.

 

* * *

  
  


A week later, you have the first incident you’ve had in several months.

 

“Howdy!” Flowey chirps to you, and you groan.

 

“What do you want, Flowey?” you say irritably, wanting to get back to work on honing your Soul modes.

 

“Well, I heard that last week was your birthday, and today is the one year of you entering the Underground, so I wanted to give you a present.”

 

“And, what would that be?” you say, suspicious of what he has in store.

 

“Oh, nothing much. Just THIS!” he says, quickly wrapping his vines around you. You could probably tell where this is going.

 

When his vines are all around you save your neck and head, he starts constricting them. Loud sounds like gunshots run throughout your body as every bone is being broken at least once. You grit your teeth, not wanting to give Flowey the satisfaction of you screaming.

 

He finishes constricting, and tosses your limp form away, laughing insanely as he burrows away.

 

You wince in pain, and crane your head down to your body. You feel lucky that you haven’t gone into shock, Determination like the best pain reliever, but feel like you will die from internal bleeding within the hour. You reach for your Save File, and hope that Sans, Papyrus, or Alphys won’t question it.

 

* * *

  
  


As it turns out, cyan and orange magic are relatively hard magics to use as a Soul mode, but with enough Determination, you manage to be able to make your Soul cyan and orange with minimal dizziness by the end of the fifth month of training, and learning it in that is considered ‘prodigy’ level.

 

“Alright, little one, I would like you to complete this obstacle course in as little time as you can. No need to worry, though. You will get a surprise regardless of time completed, but please complete it as fast as you want,” Asgore tells you, and you nod, turning determinedly toward the obstacle course.

 

Each obstacle in the course is made to be safe, but tests your usage of the two Soul modes. Cyan allows a fifty-percent chance of attacks to pass through you and your Soul when not moving, which helps with the rapid glitchy nature of your Soul, along with making attacks more powerful the more you ‘charge’ it up, but at the cost of speed and being unable to go through orange attacks. Orange, on the other hand, grants the same chance of passing through when moving, along with making you hit harder, and faster movement, but at the cost of being unable to pass through cyan attacks.

 

You pass through the obstacle course swiftly, though with a few botched attempts at some points, but you reach the end in a relatively short amount of time. You leave through the exit beaming.

 

“Good attempt there, my child, but I would like you to have another go at it later. In the meantime, I’ve prepared us some tea. Please follow,” Asgore tells you, and reaches out his hand.

 

“Okay, Dad,” you say to him.

 

* * *

  
  


“A-alright, try hitting t-those targets,” Alphys tells you, and you nod, shooting at them with your Soul as a gun.

 

Compared to learning cyan and orange modes, learning yellow mode was a breeze. Though, of course you had to do the tiniest of experimenting with your Soul, mostly because at first, your Soul would refuse. Alphys got a brilliant idea of jumpstarting the ability of yellow mode by introducing a little yellow magic into your Soul.

 

After a small jolt of yellow magic through your Soul (along with a handful of apologies by Alphys afterward), you were able to activate yellow mode with ease.

 

“Now, try h-hitting them with the c-corresponding color of the target,” she tells you, starting off with a purple target.

 

One thing that you learned about your Soul modes late in the cyan-orange training was that you could make fragments of your Soul be a different color, making each trait in use slightly weaker, but have added effects. The current example being yellow mode combined with purple fragments.

 

The yellow is dominant, so it primarily uses the Soul gun, but when you turn a few fragments purple, it can be quite a deadly poisonous weapon. The purple turns the bullet it fires purple and poisonous, and because of yellow mode, it applies the Karmic Retribution effect to its target.

 

The target, lacking any sins, takes almost no Karmic Retribution damage.

 

When you finish with all of the targets, you stop, looking at Alphys.

 

“W-well, that was good. I t-think we’re done for now,” she says, clicking her finger claws together.

 

“So, want to watch some anime?” you ask her.

 

“YES!” she practically screams, and you both run to her room, to continue where you left off in the season.

 

* * *

  
  


“Sans?” you ask Sans, and he looks at you curiously. You pull down the new headphones Napstablook gave you for your ninth birthday last week.

 

“hmm?” he responds.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

“you already did,” he says, winking.

 

“You know what I mean,” you groan.

 

“what is it?” he says.

 

“What do your glowing eye colors mean?” you ask him.

 

Sans gives a deep sigh, “well, they are abilities unique to skeleton monsters.”

 

“I figured that,” you sigh.

 

“well, you know my colors?” you nod, “well, here’s what I know; cyan is my main, which allows me to wait, so I can check my opponent, or a sort of zoom feature when outside of combat. with yellow added, i can accurately judge them, and combine that with purple, it will allow me to remember, or when in combat, when combined with yellow, it will give them a poison that’s about as deadly as their amount of sins. when cyan and purple are together, i will be able to tell how much damage i am doing to them, and remember”

 

You nod, then ask “What about Papyrus?”

 

Sans rubs the back of his neck as he says “well, his orange will make him be not afraid to try new things, whether in combat or out of combat.”

 

“That’s cool,” you say.

 

“very cool,” Sans nods, before continuing with “well, blue will allow his attacks to go where he wants them to regardless, and outside of battle, well, he’ll stay himself. the green allows him to stop mid-battle, and when in combination with blue, he will be kind enough to make them with a pattern, with some exceptions. when orange and blue are together, he is able to make attacks move when other monsters can’t. finally, with orange and green, he will be able to strengthen and weaken his attacks when he’s already sent them out, differing on his intent.”

 

“And what about Gaster?”

 

“he was unique, with his left eye having my colors while his right eye had paps’ colors. he could only use one color in each eye at any time, but he could switch between colors at will, with his defaults being blue and purple. usually, when he was babysitting  us when me and paps were younger, he would usually turn his eyes green and cyan, so that he would have the patience to be kind,” Sans said, chuckling, “his usage of his color switching made him perfect to be Royal Scientist.”

 

You nod, “That was all I was curious about,” then you pull back up the headphones over your ears.

 

* * *

  
  


The last year went by with a relatively low amount of incidents, and you’re ten before you know it.

 

This birthday is about as eventful as the previous two birthdays, and by the end of the day, you are tired out. You got a whole bunch of new items, many of them perfect for your shelves.

 

While finishing with your homework that Toriel gave you, the room gets rapidly darker.

 

“Hello there, Gaster,” you say without looking up, once the room gets at its darkest.

 

“G͠re͜e̴tin̴g͘s, ͠J̢o̴hn͠.” he responds.

 

“What do you want?” you ask, still not looking up.

 

“I ̧ju̶st ̡wa͢n̨ted͏ ̢t͘o̕ r̢emind͞ ͢yo͠u̧ ͜of w͏hat ͟ha̡pp҉e͝ns ̛n̨e̵xţ ͏w̸eek̛.͟” Gaster says.

 

You finish with your homework, then did what you usually did when you are brought into the Void; making silly faces at the Reader.

 

Gaster sighs, “Wh̴e̴n wi͢ll y͝o͡u stop doin̷g ͘s̷u̕c͝h im̡ma͝tu̶re҉ ̧t͟hin̕gs?̢”

 

You finish making your current face before responding with “When you stop bringing the Void to me.”

 

He sighs again, shaking his head slowly, and returns your room to normal reality.

 

You groan in exhaustion, too tired for the usual bedtime story that the two give you. You fall asleep quickly, hoping that next week will be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter yet, because I didn't feel like I could do entire chapters based on John learning each individual Soul mode. I have a mandatory minimum of 2000 words per chapter as well, in case you didn't notice
> 
> I also took a little liberty on the whole 'skeleton glowing eye' idea


	12. What Matters is the Angel's Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Angel finally shows their face after three years

Today started like any other day. You got up, had breakfast, Saved, then glitched yourself to Toriel’s house.

 

“Greetings, my child. I have a special surprise for you, so please wait here,” she tells you as you enter.

 

You wait at the front door as Toriel runs into the kitchen. When you see her return, you can see that she’s holding a piece of pie. Snail pie, to be more specific.

 

“I wanted to do something special for our time here, today,” she starts, “For it is the third year celebration, to me, since you fell down here.”

 

“Has it been three years already?” you ask, “Wow, it has flown by like it was nothing.”

 

“Yes, it has been three years, my child. And I quite agree, that the time has flown by,” Toriel replies, nodding.

 

You spend the entire morning reading and drawing, and after lunch, you leave to help with puzzles. There is something nagging you at the back of your mind, but you can put your finger on it. Shrugging, you continue, calibrating puzzles as you go.

 

Your phone starts buzzing in the early evening, then Fallen Down plays. You quickly take out the phone. You figure that she must have found something that you forgot this morning, so you quickly answer.

 

“Yes, Mom?” you reply.

 

“John? I need you to come here quickly,” she tells you urgently. You freeze, and wonder why you feel nervous.

 

“Alright,” you say, quickly hanging up and glitching yourself to Toriel’s home.

 

She rushes out of the door to find you there.

 

“Oh, John, there you are. I have news for you,” she tells you, a mixture of happiness and worry.

 

“What is it?” you ask, worried.

 

“Another human child has fallen,” Toriel tells you, and you stiffen.

 

Frisk.

 

“Where are they?” you ask urgently.

 

“I left him in the room after the spike path, though I think he will leave it shortly. No other child has stayed for long after I told them to stay,” she tells you, sounding worried.

 

“Alright, what do want me to do?” you ask her, putting on your Determined face.

 

“I would like you to, should they leave that room, guide him through the Ruins. I know that you know the puzzles by heart, so would you please do that while I prepare?” she asks.

 

You nod, and glitch yourself to the nearest room you could think of.

 

* * *

  
  


You gasp for air, having forgotten to take a breath before glitching. Seriously, that was such a rookie mistake! Shaking your head, you take a single piece of Monster candy from the bowl and pop it into your mouth. The candy dissolves before it makes it past your throat, and you’re filled with energy… and Determination.

 

Chuckling, you walk out of room, and enter the long hallway. Sure enough, Frisk is still waiting there. When you walk in, he looks up at you.

 

“Oh! Mo- I mean Miss Toriel didn’t tell me that there were other human children down here,” he says.

 

You study him silently. You can tell right off the bat that they’re definitely a boy. You know that they’re supposed to be interpreted as anything, but you’ve always thought of Frisk as a boy. At another glance, you can tell that his skin tone is one or two tones darker than your own, bringing him to a very light tan. You figure that this universe had taken some of your own preferences and put them onto some key characters.

 

When you are finished looking looking Frisk over, you hold your hand out to him, to help him up from his sitting position.

 

“First, can you please tell me what your name is?” you ask, already knowing it, though you are just doing it for formality.

 

“Frisk,” he says, and takes your hand, “What’s yours?”

 

“John,” you reply, pulling him up to standing. You can see that you both are roughly the same height. “Let’s go.”

 

“But… Toriel told me to stay here until she could get someone to help me,” Frisk says, unsure.

 

“I suppose that I would be that ‘someone’,” you say, sighing.

 

Frisk looks at you incredulously, “Really? You think that you would be that ‘someone’?”

 

You shrug, “Well, I know the Ruins like the back of my hand,” you show him the back of your hand, “while I bet that you know them like you know the back of your head.”

 

He looks at you confusedly, but realization dawns on his face, and he starts giggling. You smile in a very Sans-like way. When the giggling stops, you walk out of the room, and Frisk follows you.

 

“You see that yellow star over there?” you ask Frisk, pointing towards the SAVE point. You knew that you were no longer in control of the timeline, as you could no longer feel your Save File in your mindscape, so you might as well teach him how to use it. He looks at where you are pointing, then nods, “Well, go touch it.”

 

While Frisk is occupied with the SAVE point, you send a text to Alphys.

 

SAVEscummer: the angel has arrived

 

A few seconds later, your phone buzzes with a new text.

 

ALPHYS: k, gonna get things ready with mtt

SAVEscummer: got it

 

You sigh, putting your phone away. Frisk is waiting for you patiently by the SAVE point. You walk up beside him before you both continue.

 

Your first Fight along with Frisk happens to be the same froggit that you fought a few years ago, so both of your Souls appear in the Fight. Frisk’s eyes widen at the sight of your Soul, but you just give a massive sigh.

 

The froggit looks at you, before saying “Ribbit (It appears that your Soul has improved vastly since the last time we encountered) ribbit.”

 

You nod, giving thanks to it. It was right, your Soul has reached its maximum stability, remaining Soul-shaped for a second every other second. Due to you thanking, it takes that as a spare, sending fewer fly-bullets towards your direction, and you dodge them easily. Frisk, on the other hand, gets hit a few times, then you both hit Spare.

 

When the froggit hops away, Frisk turns to you, awe and confusion in his eyes.

 

“How is your Soul like that? It looks awesome!” he says, breathing heavily.

 

You just stare at him, confused, “Huh, you’re the first ever person to have given me that reaction to my Soul,” you rub your neck, “Most Monsters look like they’d rather run away than continue Fighting me.”

 

“Well, maybe that’s because I’m human,” Frisk says, looking proud of himself for not reacting like most Monsters.

 

“Hey! Monsters are nice enough once you get to know them,” you say, sticking your tongue out at him, “Anyway, to most Monsters, Fights would be the equivalent of having a nice conversation,” you say matter-of-factly.

 

“Let’s just go,” Frisk states, and you take the lead.

 

When you get to the first broken floor puzzle, you just take his shoulder, and you see the familiar sight of your Soul appearing on the other side a fraction of a second before you and Frisk appear there.

 

“Oh my gosh, that was so COOL!” he exclaims, “What was that? Teleportation?”

 

You chuckle, still breathing heavily from the exertion of double-person shortcutting, “That was called a shortcut, though in my case, I call it ‘glitching’, because when I do it, it makes us appear like my Soul.”

 

“You need to teach it to me once we escape,” he says, awed.

 

You smile, close your eyes, and slowly shake your head, “I could try, though I   would need to check with someone else first.”

 

He gives you a disappointed but understanding nod.

 

* * *

  
  


Frisk has his first death in the first rock-pushing puzzle. He was acting too stubborn to take any healing items, so you were privy to watching his Soul shatter into pieces. It might not seem like a big deal in a game, but when you watch it shatter with your own eyes, you can’t help but feel sick by the sound.

 

You find yourself back at the entrance of the long hallway. You quickly check your messages, and it was thankfully after you texted Alphys. You walk up to Frisk.

 

He is shaking badly, and is trying hard to hold back tears. When you touch his shoulder gently, he jumps as if you gave him a shock. Frisk turns to you rapidly, and you can see that his eyes are becoming red and puffy.

 

“I’m sorry, Frisk,” you say softly, “I should’ve helped you more,” you can feel tears prickling at their ducts, because you were supposed to protect him, and you failed it several minutes into your meeting.

 

“John,” he chokes out, “what happened? I remember fighting a, um… whimsun? And then something… hit my back, then everything went black. The next thing I knew, I was right here.”

 

You give a watery sigh, “There’s no point in sugarcoating it, so here’s the facts; you died, then you took us back to your SAVE point.”

 

Frisk sniffles, then asks “Wait, ‘SAVE point’? Like in a video game?”

 

You nod, seeing that telling him the second part slightly cheered him up, so you continue, “You pretty much turned back time. Almost everyone forgot what happened during between now and when… that happened. Obviously we remember, and so do my brothers.”

 

Frisk paused, “Wait, you have brothers?”

 

You nod, “They’re very nice, though they live outside of the Ruins.”

 

He nods, before asking shakily “H-have y-you e-ever d-died?”

 

You nod sadly, “All times by Flowey.”

 

Frisk flinches, but then asks you “How am I able to turn back time?”

 

You bow your head, then sagely state “With enough Determination, time will rewind when you ask it. Now, let us go, Mom is making something special.”

 

He nods, and you wave your hand to follow.

 

“And from now on, will you please shadow my movements? I don’t want to risk another… accident.”

 

* * *

  
  


By the time you get to the end of the Ruins, you have managed to teach Frisk a few things, such as using items to heal, or equipping better armor.

 

“I wonder how those boys are doing?” Toriel asks, pulling out her phone as she walks out from behind the tree, and Frisk’s phone starts ringing. She notices, then walks over to you two.

 

“Hi, Mom,” you say sweetly.

 

“Greetings, my children. I have prepared something for you both, but I suppose it would no longer be a surprise,” she says, eyeing you suspiciously, in which you just giggle.

 

When Frisk is settled in and the pie is cooling, Toriel pulls you aside.

 

“Thank you for leading him through the Ruins. Now, I’ll expect that you want a little compensation?” she asks, and you nod eagerly, “Alright, check the refrigerator, I’ve saved a slice of the snail pie from earlier.”

 

You smile excitedly, then run to the fridge and grab the slice of pie. You tell her goodbye, then glitch yourself back to your room in Snowdin.

 

Sans shortcuts himself into your room, then takes a seat at the foot of your bed.

 

“so, mind telling me what that load earlier was?” he asks, and you sigh.

 

“Frisk died to a whimsun,” you tell him.

 

Sans looks at you confusedly.

 

You sigh again, “The Angel died, and they have control over the timeline. Mom asked me to help him through the Ruins, as well.”

 

He gives a look of understanding, and slowly nods.

 

“well, we’ll have to hope that he is more responsible with it than a certain someone,” he says, you both know who it is, “well, sweet dreams, babybones.”

 

You frown and put on a pouting face “I’m only ten,” you whine.

 

Sans chuckles, “well, you’re still a babybones compared to us.”

 

You whine again, then settle into your pillow, quickly falling asleep.

 

* * *

  
  


You wake up to the sound of your phone buzzing and the ringtone of a registered but not selected person. You check the time. 7 AM. Selecting the answer button, you put your phone to your ear.

 

“I killed her!” a crying voice comes through the receiver, and your blood freezes. Of course he would accidentally kill her, “I killed her! I’m sorry! please don’t hate me… How do I Load? I don’t want her to stay dead!”

 

You sigh, “I’ll talk you through the method of Loading once I’ve let my brothers know. In the meantime… just don’t look at her dust. You don’t need to feel any more guilty than you already feel.”

 

You think you can hear Frisk nodding through the phone, so you set it down and leave your room. Luckily they are already up.

 

You clear your throat, with them looking at you, “Excuse me, but we’re going to need to go through a Load to last night. A friend did something they regret and want to undo it. I’ll also be staying the night with them”

 

As usual, Papyrus agrees, saying “A FRIEND OF YOURS? WELL, A FRIEND OF YOURS IS A FRIEND OF MINE! SO I SUPPORT YOU IN LOADING!”

 

Sans just nods, casually saying “well, if it means i can sleep more, then go ahead.”

 

“Thanks,” you tell them, then you run back into your room.

 

You pick up your phone, and hear Frisk still rapidly breathing through it, “Okay, listen very carefully. First method is my method, but if it doesn’t work, then the second method might,” you say, hearing the rustle of hair meaning yes.

 

“Okay, my method is rather simple; just reach out with your mind, and feel for something that feels like a big rectangular button that feels like a place in time,” you tell him, and after a few minutes of silence, you hear him reply.

 

“I can’t feel anything.”

 

You sigh, “Then imagine it like the dialogue box that shows up whenever you Save. It should have three buttons; Load, Reset, and a small ‘Quit’ in the top right corner,” after a minute, you hear a gasp, “Please don’t Load when we’re talking on-”

 

You immediately find yourself outside Toriel’s home.

 

“... the phone,” you finish, and Frisk immediately tackles you in a hug.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it! She wouldn’t let me pass, so I had to fight,” his voice turns small, “Please don’t hate me.”

 

You return the hug, “You’re lucky that I can’t hold a grudge to save my life,” Frisk laughs while quietly sobbing, “And besides, you regret what you did, right?” you ask, and he nods, “Well, to me, that’s all that matters.”

 

You get off of the ground, and help Frisk up.

 

“I’m gonna stay the night this time, to help you prepare.”

 

He nods, and you both enter the house.

 

* * *

  
  


This time goes somewhat the same, and when Frisk asks how to leave the ruins, then the script slightly alters from the game, example being when walking down the basement, Toriel mentions that some Monsters might not obey Asgore’s new rule, giving an excuse to use his Soul. She also mentions before the Fight starts that it looks as if he saw a ghost, and that she wants him to prove that he can defend himself from such Monsters.

 

The Fight went about as well as in game, with her moving her fire away when it got too close. You were just leaning casually against a pillar as he fought, Toriel knowing that the Monsters outside liked you enough for you to be safe. When the Fight ended, you walked up to them.

 

“John, will you please help keep him safe?” she asks you.

 

“Of course, Mom,” you reply, hugging her at the same time as Frisk. When you end the embrace with them, she walks away from you, turns to look at you both, and then goes away.

 

Flowey gives his judgement of Frisk, but you just wave him off dismissively, with Flowey throwing pellets at you before burrowing away.

 

“Ready to meet my brothers?” you ask Frisk.

 

Frisk nods at you with Determination written all over his face, so you open the door to Snowdin.

 

He is going to like your brothers so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided that Frisk would be a boy in any story I make, simply because that is how I view mine, just so you know


	13. What Matters is the Trial of Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You take Frisk through Snowdin Forest and the Fight with Papyrus

You both walk out of the Ruins, and then you turn to your left and wave at the camera.

 

“What are you doing?” Frisk asks you as you wave at the seemingly empty bush.

 

“Waving at a friend who’s watching us,” you respond, finishing with your waving, “Well, shall we continue?”

 

Frisk nods, and continues on the way.

 

Right on cue, the branch snaps, and Frisk turns around quickly, but you shrug, pulling him on. When Sans’ footprints resound through the silence, Frisk looks around wildly, but you pat him on the shoulder calmingly, which seems to work.

 

You both get to the bridge, but Frisk stops in his tracks, the familiar faint glow of blue magic on him, though you know from experience that it’s not visible to the person it is used on.

 

**“H u m a n.   D o n ‘ t   y o u   k n o w   h o w   t o   g r e e t   a   n e w   p a l?   T u r n   a r o u n d   a n d   s h a k e   m y   h a n d.”**

 

You give an encouraging nod, to which Frisk takes Sans’ hand.

 

A farting sound resounds throughout the forest as Sans drops his silhouette. Once the shock (and whoopie cushion) ends, you and Frisk erupt into giggles. Sans chuckles.

 

“heheh, the old whoopie cushion in the hand trick. it’s always funny, just take a look at him,” he says, pointing at you, still giggling, “anyways, you’re a human, right? that’s hilarious. i’m sans. sans the skeleton. and he might have mentioned it, but that’s my brother, john the human,” you wave at them.

 

“But our other brother Papyrus- well, he  _ was _ a human-hunting fanatic, but he’s now a friend-making fanatic,” you say, looking behind you, “Say, I think that’s him right over there,” pointing your thumb over your shoulder.

 

“quick, go through this gate thingy. yeah, go right through, he made it when we were still capturing any humans who fell down here, but hasn’t made the time to change the gate,” Sans tells Frisk, pushing him through, “quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp!”

 

You glitch yourself behind the sentry station as Frisk hides himself behind the conveniently-shaped lamp, then start making yourself some ‘dogs because you didn’t have much breakfast today. Papyrus walks into the clearing.

 

“sup, papyrus,” Sans says casually. You give him a wave.

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT’S ‘SUP’, BROTHERS,” Papyrus states, “WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?”

 

“looking at this lamp. it’s very cool,” Sans says.

 

“Just going to have a quick ‘dog,” you say, truthfully.

 

Papyrus looks at you, “NYOO HOO HOO! IT SEEMS OUR BROTHER HAS TAINTED YOU WITH HIS GREASY AND UNHEALTHY TASTES!”

 

You give a playful whine as you say “But greasy and unhealthy things taste  _ so _ good!”

 

Papyrus turns to Sans, “AND YOU. WELL, IT HAS BEEN EIGHT DAYS SINCE YOU. RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!”

 

“hmm, maybe this lamp with help you?” Sans suggests. Papyrus is fuming.

 

“UGH! WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TWO BROTHERS WHO DO NOTHING BUT BOONDOGGLE AT THE WORST OF TIMES?! WHAT IF JOHN’S FRIEND COMES THROUGH? I WANT YOUR PUZZLES TO BE IN TOP CONDITIONS, SO THAT THEY MAY ENJOY DOING THE PUZZLES ALONG WITH US,” Papyrus says, striking a pose.

 

“Guess you could say that he’ll have a  _ skele-ton _ …” you start.

 

“of  _ skele-fun _ ,” Sans finishes, giving a wink.

 

Papyrus has eyes bulging from his sockets somehow.

 

“GASP! A DOUBLE-JOINTED PERSON PUN? HOW LOW HAVE YOU TWO GONE?” he demands.

 

“At least six feet under,” you say, shrugging and smiling.

 

“heh, you walked right into that, paps,” Sans says.

 

“More like fell into it,” you say, snickering. You can hear Frisk giggling, but it is covered up by yours and Sans’.

 

“UGH! I’LL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU SHOULD PUT A LITTLE MORE, ‘BACKBONE’, INTO YOURS! NYEH HEH HEH! AND YOU,” Papyrus says, turning to you, “SHOULD BE GETTING BACK HOME FOR A MUCH HEALTHIER CHOICE OF BREAKFAST. NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!” he says, walking out of the clearing before returning for a final “HEH!” and leaving again.

 

“okay, you can come out now,” Sans tells Frisk, and he steps out from behind the lamp, and walks up to Sans, “you better get moving, or else you’ll have to sit through more of our hilarious antics.”

 

“More like stand,” you say, grinning, “Well, Frisk, I’ll meet you up at the next SAVE point. Just need some spaghetti on the go,” you tell him, and he nods.

 

* * *

  
  


You quickly glitch home, grab a couple of containers of spaghetti and forks, then quickly glitch to the SAVE point, to see Frisk walking into the area.

 

“Hello there! I brought you some spaghetti, considering we didn’t have much to eat this morning,” you tell him, and he nods gratefully, taking the container you grabbed for him.

 

You sit on the snow, with Frisk looking at you as if you were crazy.

 

“What? The air might be cold, but the snow doesn’t even feel either warm or cool, not even melting like normal snow,” you tell him, and he just slowly sits down. 

 

You finish rather quickly, while Frisk still is halfway through his container, fumbling with the fork. You give him the pink leather gloves Mettaton gave you for your birthday last week, which helped him a little.

 

Absentmindedly, you start humming to Snowy. Frisk looks over to you questioningly.

 

“What are you humming to?” he asks.

 

“The Theme of this place,” you respond, still humming.

 

“What do you mean by ‘Theme’?”

 

You sigh, “Everything with magic has the potential to create music, named Themes. The more powerful or prominent certain magic is, the stronger the Theme. But a catch is that being able to hear them is an extremely rare ability even among Monsters, much less humans, those being named ‘Listeners’. I’m sure you remember Napstablook?”

 

“Yeah, I remember him,” he says, eating more spaghetti before continuing with realization, “Wait, so you were complimenting his Theme when you said you liked his music?”

 

You nod, “Not only that, but I also get some of his music before it’s even released, which is actually quite popular.”

 

Frisk nods, then asks you “Do you have a Theme?”

 

You nod, “Yes, and it is one of three Themes that anyone can hear, but those Themes can only be heard in combat.”

 

He finishes his spaghetti, before asking “Can I hear it?”

 

You grin devilishly, “Of course, but I must warn you; most find it very unsettling.”

 

He grins back challengingly, “Bring it on!”

 

“Oh, I will!” you say, standing up quickly.

 

When Frisk stands up, you glitch your Soul into existence, and aim the intent to fight towards him, in which his Soul slides out of his chest, with a gasp.

 

Huh, Fighting with another human feels weird. It feels as if your Souls are tied together, in an agreement to not intend harm.

 

As Megalovania is playing in the background, can see the awe on his face.

 

“As by rules of the magic used, the instigator is unable to make the first move, so that it could be deemed fair. Now, do something,” you tell Frisk, and he nods. You can see him navigate his menu options.

 

*Act>John>Compliment.

 

He tells you that your Theme sounds awesome.

 

You navigate your Soul to Act, then you Check him, your irises turning cyan, yellow, and purple due to a loophole in the ‘Soul magic’ problem, with it being the quote about eyes being the gateways to the Soul.

 

**Frisk**

 

**0 ATK 0 DEF**

 

**The Angel of the Prophecy**

 

You talk before your turn ends, “Just so you know, I have to do an actual attack next turn, considering I’m an unofficial Royal Guard, but get ready.”

 

Frisk nods, then navigates his own menu.

 

*Act>John>Compliment.

 

He says that your eyes became cool just then, and you laugh.

 

“Okay, but that is  _ nothing _ compared to this,” you say, turning your Soul yellow with almost half of your fragments purple, for maximum effect, and shoot.

 

Frisk yelps in pain but holds his ground, one hp has taken Karmic Retribution. After a full loop of Megalovania, the KR drains away that single health point. It’s now his turn.

 

*Act>John>Ask.

 

Frisk asks you what you did.

 

“That was Karmic Retribution, and it appears that you are, by technicality, clean of sins,” you tell him, and he sighs in relief.

 

“Now, let me heal you,” you tell him, turning the purple fragments green, then you shoot. Green bullets come out, and Frisk grabs as many as he can.

 

*Mercy>Spare>John.

 

You spare him back, and the world regains its colors.

 

“Well, that surely was interesting,” you say, “Let’s continue.”

 

Frisk nods, then takes the lead.

 

* * *

  
  


You walk beside him until you meet up with your brothers.

 

“SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE…” Papyrus starts, but then stops after seeing you and Frisk, and he and Sans start spinning rapidly after turning to each other a few times.

 

“OH MY GOSH! IS THAT… ANOTHER HUMAN? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ARE THEY JOHN’S FRIEND?” he asks.

 

“Uh, I think they’re just a rock,” you reply, and sure enough, behind Frisk is the rock.

 

“OH,” he says. Both you and Sans know that he could still see right through it, but he plays along because it makes you and Sans happy, so he will happily play along to make you happy.

 

“but what’s that in front of john’s rock?” Sans asks. Papyrus turns to Frisk, and ‘discovers’ a human.

 

“GASP! ANOTHER HUMAN. AND THEY APPEAR TO BE JOHN’S FRIEND,” Papyrus ‘concludes’, “ATTENTION OTHER HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS SNOWDIN. NOT! UNLESS! YOU BECOME MY FRIEND!”

 

You and Frisk start giggling. For you, it’s because that is  _ so _ Papyrus of him. You suspect that Frisk is giggling because of his personality being amusing to him.

 

“PROCEED ONLY IF YOU THINK YOURSELF WORTHY OF MY FRIENDSHIP! NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus says, running off.

 

You and Frisk walk up to Sans.

 

“he’s so lucky you came here, kiddo. he’s been wanting to say that for at least a year now,” he tells Frisk, who then nods happily, “well, i’ll see you two up ahead. john, you know where i’ll be.”

 

* * *

  
  


You and Frisk walk towards Doggo’s station.

 

“Did something move? Was it my imagination?” Doggo asks as you pass. You pull out your Soul.

 

“It is only I, Doggo,” you tell him, and he instantly calms down.

 

“Oh, yes young John. Who was the other human with you that disappeared?” Doggo questions.

 

“He is only a friend of mine. Karmic Retribution affected only a single point of health, and took the duration of my Theme to drain,” you state to him, and Doggo just nods, “I also hear he gives good pets.”

 

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he growls, “Let’s see if he knows about blue attacks.”

 

“I’m just gonna stay out of this,” you say, stepping back and dismissing your Soul.

 

“Don’t move!” Doggo shouts to Frisk, and a Fight starts. He complies, and sure enough, Doggo’s attack passes through him like air. Frisk gives him a pat on the head.

 

“I’ve been pet! And it was a good pat!” Doggo exclaims, sending another cyan attack at Frisk, who stays still. The Fight ends.

 

“That was such a good pet. A human who pats that good must be a good human. Well, you may pass, invisible human,” he says, ducking below the counter.

 

You decide to glitch both you and Frisk to where Sans is, considering how far it is. Sans gives Frisk the tip about the ‘blue stop signs’, then you continue on.

 

* * *

  
  


Considering how most of the Underground knows you, the rest of the Canine Unit is pacified swiftly, sending all of their cyan attacks towards Frisk, seeing as your Fights with them are mostly out of a greeting. Another perk of being well-known was that you could send any Jerry fleeing with a narrowing of your eyes.

 

Before you know it, you and Frisk arrive at Snowdin Village. You suggest that he sleeps for a bit at the Snowed Inn, to which he agrees.

 

Frisk doesn’t know this, but over the past year, you’ve been setting up things for him for the past year, making three trials; the Trial of Soul, to test if he’ll stay true to his word, with Papyrus being the ‘boss’ of this trial. The Trial of Heart, to see if he truly does not want to hurt anyone, with Undyne holding the title of ‘boss’. Finally, the Trial of Mind, to see if he can think his way through problems, and help others, with Mettaton and Alphys collaborating as ‘bosses’.

 

Frisk comes out of the inn, grumbling about loud snoring, then continues.

 

“Can I sleep at your house tonight? I couldn’t stand two minutes of the loud snoring,” he complains, and you nod.

 

“Let’s just see if you can get past Papyrus by befriending him,” you say.

 

“Got it,” he replies dully, not looking forward to fighting.

 

You both go past your house, and right to Papyrus.

 

“SO, JOHN’S FRIEND. YOU HAVE COME TO PASS ME. LET ME SAY SOME THINGS BEFORE WE BEGIN. IT HAS BEEN A JOY, TO FIND A FELLOW PUZZLE-LOVER, LIKE MYSELF AND JOHN. YOU LOVE JAPES AS MUCH AS ANY OTHER PUZZLE-LOVER, AND GREAT, TO FIND A PASTA LOVER. THESE THINGS, HUMAN… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU’RE FEELING RIGHT NOW. I WILL GLADLY TAKE YOUR HAND IN FRIENDSHIP… AFTER A FRIENDLY BATTLE!” Papyrus says, “AND DO YOUR GREATEST! NYEH HEH HEH!”

 

The world turns black and white as you and Frisk enter a Fight with Papyrus. Papyrus turns to you.

 

“BROTHER, YOU REMEMBER WHICH ATTACKS TO STEP OUT OF, CORRECT?” he asks you, and you nod. You can dodge these attacks in your sleep, if you were able to move as well when sleeping.

 

When Papyrus’ cyan attacks pass through Frisk, you jump into the Fight, turning yourself blue.

 

You spend the Fight jumping over bones like they were nothing while both you and Papyrus encourage Frisk, and are thankful that this isn’t one of those Frisks who flirt with Papyrus, because that would just feel awkward.

 

“YES, I SEE THAT YOU HAVE FOUGHT VALIANTLY!” Papyrus begins, beaming, “I SHALL NOW GRANT YOU MERCY!”

 

*Papyrus is Sparing you.

 

You immediately Spare him. Frisk, however, does the unthinkable.

 

He runs up to Papyrus, who then whacks him across the face with his stick, a playful smile on his face. What happened next was unexpected.

 

Papyrus, despite having his defenses massively lowered to Sparing, doesn’t even take a single point of damage. Instead, there is a comical ‘thunk’ as wood meets magical bone. Papyrus being Papyrus, is still beaming at Frisk.

 

“AH, I SEE. YOU HAVE SHOWN YOUR INTENT TO NOT WANT TO HARM ME BY FIGHTING, BUT EVEN AS MY DEFENSES ARE AT THEIR LOWEST, YOU DID NOT DO ANY DAMAGE. THAT IS ALL THAT PROVES TO ME THAT YOU ARE GOOD; YOU DID NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO HURT ME IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY,” he says.

 

The world immediately returns into color, the fog clearing.

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! I HAVE CAPTURED ANOTHER HUMAN IN MY BONEY CAGES OF FRIENDSHIP. WHEN YOU ARE READY, COME BACK TO OUR HOUSE, AND WE CAN PROCEED TO HANG OUT LIKE COOL FRIENDS,” Papyrus says, before using blue magic to leap over your heads.

 

You turn your head to Frisk, a glint of irritation in your eyes, “What you did was very risky.”

 

He just shrugged, looking down, “Well, he lived, now didn’t he?”

 

You look down, then back up, “Yeah. But please don’t do anything that stupid again.”

 

Frisk looks down guiltily, “I promise.”

 

“Let’s just go back home,” you say, and he nods.

 

You pull him into a one-armed hug, and walk back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you need more information on why Frisk did no damage even though Papyrus was at his weakest was because he had so little intent to harm that the attack strength was at -9999 when he decided to do that


	14. What Matters is Being a Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You learn a bit about Frisk's past

You and Frisk enter your house, and sure enough, Papyrus is making his ‘friendship pasta’ for Frisk.

 

“OH HO! THE FRIEND ARRIVES! I HAVE TAKEN TO MYSELF TO PREPARE SOME FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI. IT SHALL BE FINISHED SHORTLY, SO GET COMFY!” he shouts to Frisk, who just sits down on the couch.

 

“There’s spare change underneath the cushions if you need any, and don’t get  _ too _ comfy, otherwise you won’t be awake for the spaghetti,” you mention to him, to which he just nods absentmindedly.

 

After a few minutes of waiting, you can smell that the spaghetti and sauce are ready, so you walk into the kitchen to help Papyrus bring out the food. You take out the garlic bread.

 

“Frisk, the food is ready. You can start eating once Sans gets here,” you tell him.

 

“already here, kiddo,” Sans tells you while shortcutting in, and you sigh.

 

“You know I hate it when you’ve already got a sentence ready as you shortcut,” you rib him.

 

“you are just jealous that you can’t do it yet,” Sans chuckles, and you pout. He turns to Frisk, “hey, it looks like you’ve befriended paps. though, what you did at the end was a little risky,” Frisk looks down guiltily.

 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles.

 

“hey, don’t give me any of that. you showed that even at his most vulnerable, you don’t want to hurt anyone, and that shows who you really are,” Sans says, voice soft. Frisk looks up at him with teary eyes.

 

“GREAT! NOW THAT WE ARE ALL HERE, THE FRIENDSHIP MAKING SHALL COMMENCE!” Papyrus declares.

 

You eat your meal, while Papyrus is talking about everything under the sun (or in this case, mountain). Whenever you can get a word in, it is usually either helpful or silly, depending on what is being talked about.

 

When everyone is done eating, you decide it should be time to break out the games. Monopoly is the first game you play, so you spend at least half of the remaining daytime playing it. You and Frisk have teamed up, but despite that, you end up being the second one to go bankrupt.

 

“Avenge me, Frisk,” you tell him in your best ‘dying voice’, taking out your Soul and turning it blue, then floating up to the ceiling slowly like a very awkward balloon. Frisk just bursts out laughing, and you spend the rest of the game bouncing around on the ceiling. He manages to win by a hair, and so you float back down.

 

“That was SO funny!” Frisk laughs as you softly land, “I had to hold it in the rest of the game. If you ever do that again when I need to concentrate, I’ll, I’ll…”

 

“Try to think of something first?” you suggest.

 

“Hey!” he whines, still laughing.

 

“alright kiddos, what next?” Sans asks.

 

You hold up Life, and he just chuckles.

 

* * *

  
  


The rest of the night goes by in a blur, and before you know it, it’s time for bed.

 

“Umm, Sans, Papyrus?” Frisk starts, looking nervous, “Can I… spend the night here?”

 

Papyrus immediately beams, “OF COURSE, HUMAN! A FRIEND IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO STAY THE NIGHT,” he takes on a look of concentration, “THOUGH, WHOSE ROOM WOULD YOU SLEEP IN? I WOULD SUGGEST MINE, BUT RECENTLY, SOMETHING VERY… ANNOYING HAS TAKEN RESIDENCE IN MY BED WHENEVER I TRY USING IT.”

 

“the kid could sleep in my room. i know that the atmosphere can get anyone  _ bone-tired _ ,” Sans says, chuckling.

 

“Oh, put a sock in it, Sans,” you roll your eyes while smiling, “Wait, better yet: your entire collection.”

 

“hey, don’t bring my collection into this,” Sans says in mock offense, a hand placed over his breastbone.

 

“I’ll be as  _ sternum _ as I want,” you reply, putting your hands on your hips and turning to Frisk, “You can sleep in my room tonight. Even if you don’t want to use my bed, the carpet is plush enough to be used as a bed.”

 

He nods slowly, “Are you sure that we can share your bed? I don’t really want to intrude.”

 

You look your light gray eyes into the eyes that are about as brown as his hair, and say “Of course I’m sure you can share my bed. I don’t want you to feel unwelcome.”

 

Frisk nods again, tears in his eyes. You have a feeling that that wasn’t exactly a good sign, but you lead him to your room. You open your door.

 

Frisk’s eyes widen at the sight of your room, drinking in as much detail as though he might never see it again, and asks “You get this  _ whole _ room to yourself?” in disbelief.

 

You nod, “Yup. And if you ask nicely, you can use anything anytime you want,” you pause, “Even in other timelines.”

 

He is still looking around, “I’ve… never had a room of my own, to keep my own things,” he replies. You look at him curiously. This must be one of the Frisks who didn’t exactly have the happiest life before Ebott.

 

“Can I ask you something?” you ask.

 

“What is it?” Frisk responds nervously.

 

“Why did you climb Mount Ebott?” you blurt out, closing your eyes tightly as if you were expecting a slap.

 

“To… to disappear,” he responds in a choked voice.

 

“You mean by…” you don’t want to say it, but Frisk understands what you were trying to say, and frantically shakes his head.

 

“No! Not to die!” he reassures you, and you nod, “Just, so that I won’t be anyone’s problem.”

 

Not wanting to pry further, but still wanting to support him through it, you continue softly, “What was your life like before yesterday?”

 

Frisk sniffles, “I was raised in an orphanage for as long as I can remember, in the shadow of the mountain. And for as long as I can remember, I saw the other kids get adopted, and new ones would arrive. Until yesterday, I was the longest-time resident to live there,” the tears were starting to flow, both your own and Frisk’s.

 

“What was the final straw?” you ask, unable to think of anything else to say.

 

“I-I overheard some of the adults say that n-no o-o-one m-might e-ever want t-to have m-me. ‘He’s too strange’, ‘He’s too determined for his own good’, ‘No one wants a boy who doesn’t talk much’, ‘He spends too much time inside’, ‘He-’”

 

You launch yourself at him in a hug, in a desperate attempt to prevent him from becoming more of a sobbing mess than he is right now.

 

“I’m so,  _ so _ , sorry that you had to go through that,” you whisper to Frisk, tears streaming from your eyes, “Anyone who speaks like that about a child does not deserve anyone like you. And all those things they said about you are part of what makes you special,” you say, “Being strange can be interesting to others, determination is what drives people like us, not talking is okay to me, and who needs to go outside?”

 

Frisk gave a watery laugh at your last remark, seeming to have calmed down a bit, “You aren’t like the other boys there. Where they bully, you only tease, but in a good and funny way. Where they push me down when I’m determined to get up, you offer a helping hand. And where they call me a crybaby, well-” he motions with his head still on your shoulder towards your head. You nod, still having tears.

 

“If it is any help, you can call me a brother if you want, because I want to view you like my brother,” you say. Frisk just sobs harder, from happiness no doubt. You start to sob harder.

 

When you and Frisk calm down a bit, he asks you a question you never wanted to be asked.

 

“Why did you climb Ebott?”

 

You freeze. You do not know how explain it to him, not knowing if he has even a fragment of the knowledge of the multiverse theory (proven by this point).

 

“Oh, I’m sorry if it is a sensitive topic for you, so I won’t-” He starts, but you cut him off.

 

“No, it’s not that it’s sensitive for me. I just don’t know how to best explain it,” you state, shrugging.

 

Frisk puts on his best face of Determination as he says “Well, then find a way to explain it.”

 

You sigh, then try to put another way of saying exactly why you ended up there.

 

“I was… trying to run from the consequences of my sins against someone,” you say.

 

Frisk knits his brow in thought, “What kind of person were they?”

 

“They were remarkably like you. And I toyed with their life like it was a game,” you say, shaking your head.

 

“Oh,” is all he says.

 

* * *

  
  


After a few moments of silence, you decide to ask Frisk if he’d like to take a better look around your room, to which he happily agreed, anything to get off of such a hard topic.

 

He first looks at the box of bones.

 

“What are these for?” he asks you.

 

“Those are just presents from the brothers. They also make excellent building pieces, even though they’re just bones,” you reply, smiling.

 

Frisk then took a look at your pink leather jacket from Mettaton, and gives you a weird look.

 

“Hey, a friend gave that to me! He took my ‘tough guys wear pink’ line a little too seriously!”

 

He gave you another look, “Huh, thought I was the only one who said that,” he responded.

 

You give a playful pout, “And I thought I was the only one who said ‘Huh’ a lot.”

 

Frisk finally notices the one thing you hoped he would notice; your Soul chart. His eyes immediately widen when he hops onto your bed and takes a better look at it.

 

“Whoa… a chart that shows your Soul magic?!” he shouts excitedly, and you nod.

 

“It also will tell me the effects of each Soul mode, and what effects I will get when I combine certain fragments,” you say, puffing your chest out in pride.

 

“What was the thing about your eyes turning colors? I thought that your magic would only work on your Soul?” he questions.

 

You sigh, “That’s only because it is a loophole with the wording of the quote ‘eyes are the gateway to the soul’,” you tell him.

 

“That’s cool. Can you do other things with your eyes?”

 

You smile, “Yes. In fact, I can do  _ this _ with my eyes.”

 

You concentrate on your eyes, then you can feel your sclera become as black as your pupil. Immediately and instinctively, you narrow your eyes and they start watering.

 

“What’s wrong?” Frisk asks, then you turn what was where your pupil and iris were white, so that your eyes somewhat resemble Sans’.

 

“I had to reverse the colors of my eyes, because when they’re entirely black, my eye essentially becomes one big pupil,” he gives you a confused look, “Basically, it’s like when the lights suddenly come on in a very dark room,” and he nods in understanding.

 

You close your eyes and switch them back to their normal colors, then Frisk continues looking around your room. He stops at the spear Undyne gave you a couple of years ago.

 

“Oh yeah, a friend gave that to me. She told me, in her words, to ‘use them against my enemies, or in the most awesome game of darts’,” you tell him, shaking your head in fondness.

 

He finally stops at your computer, and takes a look at the applications you have installed. His eyes immediately bulge in excitement as he looks at one game you have.

 

“You have Skyrim?!” he asks, and you nod.

 

“And may I ask what adult lets a ten-year old play such a violent game?” you ask him, wondering how Frisk knows about it.

 

“I used to sneak onto the computer at the orphanage to play this before anyone would find out,” he says, fond memories definitely playing in his head.

 

“What did you usually choose to be?” you ask, intrigued.

 

“Wood Elf stealth archer, you?” he responds.

 

You grin, holding up your hand in a high-five, “Same. Most broken class in the game.”

 

Frisk gives you a high-five, before turning towards the computer.

 

“Can I play it?” he asks pleadingly. You nod, “Thanks!”

 

You spend as much of the night watching him play Skyrim as you could, before you both crash, and fall asleep in your bed, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no regrets for inserting Skyrim
> 
> Also, I took a slight spin on the 'orphan Frisk' thing, with one thing being his Determination being frowned upon by many adults


	15. What Matters is the Trial of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You help Frisk through the Trial of Heart

You wake up to the sound of your phone ringing with status updates. Groaning with slight exhaustion, you pick up your phone and check the time. 8 AM. Huh, later than usual, so that means that you’ll have to have some cereal instead, or leftover spaghetti.

 

You unlock your phone screen to check what the status updates are. Sure enough, they are all by Alphys.

 

ALPHYS: omg

ALPHYS: this is sooo adorbs ^o^

ALPHYS: srry john but the underground must know

The next text has an attachment with it. Selecting it, the attachment opens up. What you saw left you in mild embarrassment, and it appears that Alphys came by after you fell asleep.

 

The picture shown in the attachment was of you and Frisk in your bed. It appears that you both had started unconsciously hugging at that point, with your cheeks squished against each other. Frisk’s head was resting on your shoulder. The camera appeared to have been shaking, and you could just imagine Alphys squealing at the sight of the two of you snuggling like that.

 

Shaking your head while smiling, you send her a cheeky text.

 

SAVEscummer: you should make it a desktop, it’ll last longer

ALPHYS: already have

ALPHYS: has 1000 downloads atm

 

Smiling, you pocket your phone, then start repeatedly prodding Frisk.

 

Mumbling, he says “Five more minutes,” and you drag him out of your bed and onto the ground, to which he responds with “What was that for?”

 

You smirk, then say “There’s only enough room in this house for two lazybones. And Sans counts as both of them.”

 

“Well, can we at least eat first?” he asks, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

 

“Wait, I just remembered something; Sans has the Waterfall shift for the morning. He always takes me to Grillby’s for breakfast whenever he has that shift and I happen to walk by,” you say, then walk over to pick up the spear.

 

Frisk looks at you as if you have gone insane, asking “Why are you picking up the spear?”

 

You grin, “Because you’re going to meet the friend who gave me this spear by noon,” you give a thoughtful look, “You might even might my oldest brother.”

 

He just nods, then walks out of your room. You follow.

 

After a few minutes of walking, you are at Sans’ sentry station. Sans spots you, then waves you both to come over to him.

 

“heya, kiddos. mind going to grillby’s with me? my break’s about to start,” he asks, and you and Frisk nod, “alright, follow me. i know a shortcut.”

 

You and Frisk end up in Grillby’s, and after the usual greeting from the regulars, you, Frisk, and Sans sit down at the counter, with whoopie cushions going off in your and Frisk’s stools, in which you both start giggling.

 

“alright kiddo, what do you want?” Sans asks Frisk, who responds with fries, “gotcha. grillbz, we’d like the usual plus some fries,” he tells Grillby, who nods and leaves for the back room.

 

After a while of waiting, you break the ice, “So, Frisk. What do you think of Papyrus?”

 

“I think that he’s very fun to be with,” Frisk responds, smiling.

 

“of course he’s fun to be with. anyone with a personality like that would be very fun to be around,” Sans replies, widening his grin.

 

Grillby returns with your orders, and sets them in front of you.

 

“ _ bone _ appetit,” Sans says, handing you the ketchup.

 

You tighten the lid before drizzling ketchup all over your fries and burger. You hand the ketchup to Frisk, who puts ketchup on his fries before handing the ketchup to Sans. Sans, being Sans, then casually opens up the bottle of ketchup and starts drinking it straight out of the bottle. Frisk looks slightly disgusted.

 

When you are all done with your food, Sans starts on the heavier topics.

 

“so, i have a question for ya,” he says, then the area around the three of you freezes in time, and Premonition plays, “have you ever heard of a  **talking flower** ?” he asks, and Frisk freezes. You and Sans have made the question sound like he was talking about Flowey, just to see how his reaction would be. Quickly putting the conversation back on track, Sans continues, “so, you know all about it. the  **echo flower** . they’re all over the marsh. however, john has told me the other day about a unique flower that appears to him when nobody’s around. to him, it whispers the meanest of things. hate. vitriol. insults... and it appears that it can retain those through those loads,” Sans says, eyes blackened.

 

The room brightens back up, and everyone else resumes what they’re doing.

 

“but that’s ridiculous, right?” Sans says, laid back tone returning. He checks the non-existent watch on his wrist, “sheesh, kids. i can’t believe that you both managed to pull me away from my work for that long,” Sans gets up from his seat. You lay down the coins for the meal, not wanting to extend Sans’ tab.

 

“We should do this again soon,” you say, and Frisk nods. You both get up.

 

“by the way. i was gonna say something, but you made me forget,” Sans says before leaving.

 

Shrugging, you glitch both yourself and Frisk to Sans’ sentry station, to make sure he Saves first.

 

* * *

  
  


“Did you hear what he said about the talking flower?” Frisk says, and you nod slowly, in a very ‘no duh’ sort of way.

 

“Yes I did. And there’s some armor behind that waterfall,” you tell him, and you both enter the water.

 

Frisk scrunches up his face at the sight of the Dusty Tutu. Despite what everyone thought of it, most of the dust covering the tutu was from the environment, rather than the Integrity child dusting every Monster in sight. Yes, there was Monster dust on it, but it was relatively low.

 

“I am  _ not _ wearing that throughout Waterfall,” he states right to your face.

 

You stick out your tongue at him, then ask “What? Would you rather wear…” you glitch yourself to your room, grab your pink leather jacket, then glitch back, “THIS?!” you say.

 

It appears that Frisk is Checking your jacket. You know the stats by heart.

 

**Pink Jacket**

 

**25 DEF**

 

***Tough guys wear pink, apparently. Soul modes fifty percent more potent.**

 

With a deadpan expression, he snatches your jacket from your grip and puts it on, thankfully not zipping it up.

 

“So, you’re not willing to wear a tutu, yet you’re willing to steal my jacket because it’s pink?” you ask.

 

Frisk nods, “Well, I’m comfortable with wearing a shirt with the smallest amount of purple on it, aren’t I?” he says, tapping a finger on a purple stripe, “Also, wearing colors associated with girls is better than  _ wearing something specifically meant for girls _ ,” he tells you, sticking out his tongue.

 

You shrug, then take out your spear, “Sure, might as well have this,” you hold it out to him. You can feel him check it.

 

**Undying Spear**

 

**25 ATK**

 

***For use against your enemies, or in the most awesome game of darts. Soul modes fifty percent more potent.**

 

Frisk quickly snatches the spear from you, then stamps it on the ground like a staff, “Let’s go,” he says, continuing forward. You follow.

 

You get to the patch of sea grass, and sure enough, Papyrus is giving his daily report.

 

“I’M HERE, UNDYNE, FOR MY DAILY REPORT,” he says, but not as nervous as in the game.

 

You could barely hear Undyne respond, but can hear her say “How was the fight with the other human?”

 

“THE FIGHT? WELL, THEY PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS. EXCEPT FOR A SMALL INCIDENT NEAR THE END, THEY MANAGED TO BE NICE ENOUGH TO SPEND LAST NIGHT WITH US.”

 

“Good. Now, they are in my domain. I shall be the judge of their heart,” you hear Undyne say.

 

“OF COURSE, UNDYNE! I SHALL PREPARE FOR HIS ARRIVAL TO HOTLAND. NYEH HEH HEH!” Papyrus says, running off.

 

Frisk sneezes, then freezes. Undyne apparently heard that, as she is walking up to the edge. This is all part of the plan. In order to proceed to Hotland, Frisk must show that he has the heart to go to Asgore. She spots Frisk, then you, in which you wink to her. After a moment, she dissipates her spear, then backs up. You pull Frisk out of the grass.

 

After the Monster Kid dialogue, Frisk says “That was your friend? She’s  _ so _ scary,” and shivers.

 

“Let’s go then,” you say, pulling him along.

 

* * *

  
  


You and Frisk get the Abandoned Quiche, go through the wishing room, and get past Undyne with relative ease. Before you know it, you are at the crystallized cheese.

 

“Want to Save before we continue?” Frisk asks, and you nod quickly.

 

“Don’t want any trouble to send us back to Sans, right?” you say, and he nods. Frisk touches the SAVE point, then nods, continuing forward.

 

You and Frisk walk for several minutes.

 

You walk for several more minutes.

 

“How long is this hallway?” Frisk asks.

 

“Don’t know, but I have a feeling I know what’ll happen,” you respond.

 

You keep walking.

 

You start running.

 

You both are now sprinting.

 

The familiar wooden gray door appears on your left, and you both skid to a halt.

 

“What’s a door like this doing in the middle of an empty hallway?” he asks.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe if you ask it nicely then it will tell you,” you say sarcastically. You open the door anyway, and walk in, Frisk tailing behind you.

 

Gaster is at the end of the room.

 

“G̨re̢eti͢n̶gs,͜ br̸oth͡er̵.” he says to you, and you bow your head in acknowledgement.

 

Frisk is looking from you to Gaster repeatedly.

 

“He’s your last brother?” he asks incredulously.

 

“Yep,” you answer, turning to Gaster, “Why did you have us walk for like fifteen minutes to get here?”

 

He just chuckles, “I ͢j̛u̧st͢ w͘a̶n̸ted҉ you two to͢ ͝s̛top͏ ̢by an͘d ͏sa̷y ̷hel̢lo̵.̛ ͠By th̷ę ͡way͜, i̢t i̧s ̴n͢i͝ce͘ ͝to ͟mee̡t͜ ͏yo̴u ̧i͞n͞ ̨pe̶r̛son͘, F̸ris̴k.”

 

Frisk widens his eyes in surprise, “How do you know my name?”

 

“We are outside of normal space and time right now, so he can sense everything possible,” you say, and Frisk nods, “It’s also why we don’t usually talk about him elsewhere, because… well, it’s rude to talk about someone who’s listening.”

 

“Pre҉c̢i͠sely.” Gaster says, “B̡y the͘ w̴a͞y, ̨t̨h͢e ͏Auth͜or ha͘s ̡in̕f̢o̶rm͜e͡d ͡mȩ bef͜or҉e̸ ̴y̨o͝u t͞w͞o a͞rr͢i͡v҉e͏ḑ th͜a͠t the̶y ̨wi̛ll ha̛ve th͘e R̕e̕ąder̵ ̷e̴xp͡erien̨ce ̕a ͝şumm҉ari͠ze̡d times͝k͡i̛p u͟p҉ ͠to t͠he Undynę Fig͞ht,͢ s͠o͢ ̶as ͢t͟o not ma̸k̨e ̶t҉hi̴s̸ tǫo l҉o̶ng̶ ̵for͡ t͠hem ̢t̴o͢ ͠make.͝”

 

You nod, but Frisk looks confused.

 

“Author? Reader? What are you talking about?” he asks.

 

“Don’t worry about those; you’ll forget about them as long as you’re outside the Void. Now, help me,” you say, then turn to your favorite Void pastime; making silly faces at the Reader. Frisk joins you.

 

Gaster rolls his eye lights at you, “A͠nd͝ I t̛hough҉t̨ ̴i̛t ͏w͞a͞s̸ ann̢oying t̡ǫ h͜a͠ve ̕o͢nly o͞ne ͞d̷o ͢t͢hat.”

 

“Then don’t bring us into the Void,” you respond, then finish making silly faces at the Reader, “Let’s go.”

 

You and Frisk wave Gaster goodbye before leaving the Void.

 

* * *

  
  


You got past the second chase sequence, got Frisk Temmie Armor (you’re fond of that jacket!), and helped Frisk help up Monster Kid.

 

“Seven. Seven human Souls. That’s all we need. Six. That’s how many we have now. Ever since King ASGORE changed the rule, we now collect Souls depending on their LOVE. BUT! In order to pass through, you must pass the Trial of Heart. First, you must know of the three trials. The first trial was… No. You know what? SCREW IT! Why should I explain it now, when you should be testing your heart right now? NGAHHH!”

 

Ngahhh! is playing as she takes off her helmet, and a lens flare shows up. Undyne looks towards Frisk.

 

“You really want to show what your heart is made of?! Well then, you shall Fight me! Should you pass me, you may make your way to the Trial of Mind! But you must know what it is like to go up against an unstoppable opponent. I will be the judge of your heart! If you kill me even once, THEN YOU WON’T PASS!” she holds up the Soul fragment you gave her years ago, “If you pass me, then impress me… by the unofficial Trial of Heart Part 2: Cooking Edition! Now, enough of this chitchat. Do whatever it is you need to do, then we’ll fight!”

 

Frisk turns to you, pale, “Wait, what does she mean by ‘kill her even once’?”

 

You sigh, “She was holding a fragment of my Soul. Monsters can’t absorb it, but if they are holding it as you Load, then they will remember through it completely, like us.”

 

“Why would you even do that?” he asks in disbelief.

 

“Friend reasons. And, because I won’t be allowed to be in the Fight, I’ll give you some tips. First of all, try to get to Hotland as fast as you can. Second, she’ll turn your Soul green, which will make you immobile, but gives you a shield, because that would only be fair. Lastly, once you get to Hotland, give her water when she collapses. I’ll see you up ahead,” you say, then glitch next to the water cooler.

 

A few minutes later, you hear footsteps running, and Spear of Justice playing. When Undyne is almost across the bridge, you hear her groan “One more test,” before she collapses. Like what you told him, Frisk walks up to the water cooler and pours two cups of water, dumping one of them on Undyne. She slowly gets up.

 

When she gets up completely, she says “Thanks, punk. Now, get to the Trial of Mind. Or the unofficial Trial of Heart Part 2 IF YOU DARE! Fuhuhu!” and dashes away, assuredly back home.

 

“I think that you should do part 2,” you say to Frisk, “it might make things easier in the long run.”

 

He just nods, and you both leave for the Riverperson.

 

* * *

  
  


“Tra la la. The Angel and the Player. Will one fall from the light? Only time will tell,” the Riverperson says as you come up to the Waterfall landing. You tense up, wondering what they meant by that.

 

Walking up to Undyne’s house, you see that Papyrus is in front of it.

 

“AH! THERE YOU TWO ARE. I SEE THAT YOU ARE HERE FOR A PASSIONATE COOKING LESSON AS WELL. ARE YOU TWO READY?” he says, and both you and Frisk nod, Frisk looking a little nervous.

 

Papyrus knocks on Undyne’s door, and the piano abruptly stops. Then, the door opens like jaws.

 

Instantly spotting you and Frisk, she says “Hello, punks! Are all three of you ready for an extra-passionate cooking lesson?”

 

You nod, smiling, “Always wanted one.”

 

Undyne tosses back her head, “Fuhuhu! Alright, let’s get started!”

 

Once the three of you are at the counter, she stomps her foot on the ground, causing some ingredients to fall from the ceiling. She’s first up, so she smashes her tomato into pulp with a slight flash. Papyrus is next, so he uses a bone to smash his. Frisk just aggressively pets his tomato into mush, while snickering.

 

You don’t know how you managed it, but you somehow got into a Fight with your own tomato, Megalovania and whatnot. Undyne and Frisk are both on the floor, laughing their heads off. Smiling, you turn your Soul yellow, orange, and purple, so that you could shoot it very hard and let it turn to mush by the power of Karmic Retribution. You’re lucky it is listed to have one health, so it doesn't take long.

 

Next are the noodles. You and Frisk aggressively put in the noodles, with the box as well. Then, Papyrus and Undyne stir, using bones and spears.

 

Finally, it is time to turn up the heat. You know that it only goes one way, so you turn it to the hottest it can go without flames licking the ceiling. The next thing you know, you are outside of her house.

 

“That was fun, punks!” Undyne exclaims, pumping her fist in the air, “We should do that again, sometime! But in the meantime, I will stay at Papyrus’ house, I know Asgore will foot the repairs. Good luck with the last Trial, punk!” and with that, she and Papyrus run off, to Snowdin no doubt.

 

“What just happened?” Frisk asks you.

 

“You and Undyne became friends, that’s what happened,” you reply, smiling.

 

Shrugging, you and Frisk head to the Riverperson, to go to Hotland for the third and final Trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me where I got the Trial names and ideas
> 
> Other than that, if you were wondering, I thought of a lot of the Riverperson's quotes that are said in the story


	16. What Matters is the Trial of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Frisk make your way through Hotland, to complete the Trial of Mind

“Tra la la. Heart, mind, Soul. Without one, it’s hard to have the others,” the Riverperson says. You wonder what the heck that means, but pay it no mind as you and Frisk get off of the boat at Hotland.

 

Frisk heads to the SAVE point, Saves, then points in the direction of the Royal Guards. Wanting to see why they’re here, you walk up to them. They greet you as usual.

 

“Hey there, little man,” 01 says, “We’ve been told, like, that the other human is not allowed past here until they’ve passed the Trial of Heart.”

 

“...” 02 says.

 

Shrugging, you and Frisk head into the lab, in which the lights are off. Not paying any mind to it (you made sure that Alphys would play her part). When you and Frisk are near the entrance to the True Lab, Alphys leaves it, turning on the lights. She then turns to the two of you.

 

“Oh my god! I wasn’t expecting you to be here so soon! It’s all messy, I haven’t showered… H-hi!” she says.

 

Most of this is part of a script that you, Alphys, and Mettaton came up with. Though you know that, Mettaton being Mettaton, will most likely start following his own script. Fortunately, your cooperation with him over the three years has made it so that he won’t try taking any human’s Soul to leave the Underground.

 

“I-I’m Doctor Alphys. B-but I’m n-not one of the b-bad guys! I’ve been m-monitoring you ever since you’ve l-left the Ruins and I was g-going to report you to K-King Asgore, but watching s-someone on the screen makes you really r-root for them! In f-fact, I’ve already written several fanfictions of you and John working t-together.”

 

“How many more downloads of the desktop picture?” you ask her, smirking.

 

“What desktop picture?” Frisk asks nervously.

 

“W-we need to get back t-to the subject at hand,” she says, starting to sweat.

 

The quiz show segment continues as normal, and as usual, Alphys answers the Mew Mew question. What you didn’t expect was that one of the answers was different.

 

_Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?_

A.Undyne B. King Asgore

C. John     D. Don’t know

 

Frisk, acting cheeky, chooses C, in which Alphys starts blushing in embarrassment.

 

“AH, YES. JOHN. ONE OF HER BEST FRIENDS HERE. WHO WOULDN’T LOVE THIS SWEET, SILLY BOY? NOT TO MENTION THAT SHE STUTTERS MUCH LESS WHEN IN HIS PRESENCE. HE EVEN HELPS HER WITH HER WORK ON OCCASION. THEY WOULD MAKE SUCH A CUTE COUPLE, WOULDN’T YOU THINK?”

 

Huh, didn’t think that you had made _that_ much of an impression on her.

 

The quiz show finishes in the usual fashion, with Mettaton rocketing off no doubt to the next television set. You walk up to Alphys, who is covering her face in embarrassment.

 

“He… he wasn’t supposed to ask that last question,” she replied. You just give her a gentle hug.

 

“You’ll be with the one you truly desire soon,” you whisper into her ear, and she tenses up but then relaxes, “And if anyone ships us, we’ll know who to blame.”

 

“Well?” Frisk says, hands on hips and tapping his foot onto the ground.

 

“Just encouraging words from one friend to another,” you yell to him. Alphys then gasps.

 

“I just remembered; p-please give me your phones, I-I need to give them s-some upgrades,” she says, taking your and Frisk’s phones. After seven seconds and a lot of sounds, she returns with your phones.

 

“Cool!” Frisk says, checking out his Undernet app, and no doubtedly changing some of the options to fit himself more.

 

“I gave you some new apps, a couple of dimensional boxes, and even signed you up for Undernet, making us friends. Heh heh, heh, heh… I’m going to the bathroom,” she says, wanting an excuse to leave behind the awkwardness.

 

Frisk gives you a look of confusion, but you just shrug at him. You both head to the east, leaving the lab behind.

 

* * *

  


“You really want to know what the desktop photo looks like?” you ask Frisk, who has been asking you about it for the past five minutes. You are barely even at the shooting puzzles yet.

 

“Yes, I’m sure that I want to see what that desktop picture that you and Alphys keep mentioning on Undernet,” he responds, jabbing a finger at his phone.

 

“Fine. If you want to feel majorly embarrassed, then feast your eyes,” you say, as you navigate to your gallery app, then you pull up the picture Alphys took of you and Frisk last night, and turn your phone to his face, “on THIS!”

 

Frisk looks confused at first, but his face slowly turns red in embarrassment, asking “How in the world did she take that photo?” while covering his face.

 

“She must have visited after we fell asleep,” you say, gaining an evil smile, “And that’s not the worst part. My phone has a fragment of my Soul inserted into it,” your smile becomes increasingly evil, “so it will retain that picture even if you Reset.”

 

“Not if I can help it,” he says, grabbing your phone, slamming it onto the ground then stamping his foot on it. All that happens is that there is now a phone-shaped indent in the ground.

 

Your evil smile would make Lesser Dog’s neck proud as you say “You can’t destroy a Nokia, much less one that Alphys upgraded.”

 

Frisk then proceeds to take out the Soul fragment, and tosses it into the magma. You simply summon your Soul, pry out a fragment, then insert it into your phone. Frisk looks baffled.

 

“Does that even HURT?” he asks incredulously.

 

“Nope. Just feels like pulling a rod out of honey. Let’s just continue,” you say, walking ahead.

 

You complete the puzzles and get to the set for _Cooking with a Killer Robot_. It goes as usual as when you usually guest-star on it; a cooking show about a person who has a closeted killer robot who attempts to kill them in hilarious ways, but always turns at the last moment, preventing their ‘death’. It wasn’t like in-game, but hey, it was a fun new script for you, so you went with it.

 

You and Frisk head up to R2, and head west, to Sans’ sentry station.

 

“heya, kiddos. wanna buy a ‘dog?” Sans asks. You buy two ‘dogs and a ‘cat, then you start buying them even when your inventory is full. You get twenty-nine head-dogs.

 

“Sans, can you help me give the head-dogs to Frisk?” you ask.

 

“sure, kiddo,” he says, then uses blue magic to perfectly put the ‘dogs onto Frisk’s giggling head, then you start getting more head-dogs.

 

“Do you have an indefinite supply of ‘dogs there?” you ask, giggling.

 

“i’ll let you be the judge of that,” Sans replies, winking, as he puts the last ‘dog on your head.

 

“See ya!” you shout to him as you leave the area.

 

When you get to the safe, and Alphys states her opinion on Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2, you reply that it was so cheesy that a pizza would be jealous. You and Frisk also manage to hook up the Royal Guards, who wanted to be sure that Frisk was worthy to go through.

 

The bomb-defusal show is going about as well as in-game, and you believe that Frisk is catching onto the fact that this is staged, which is the plan. The Trial of Mind is to see if one can think their way through problems given to them. You and Frisk go into the elevator for L3.

 

Muffet is waiting for you, and as usual, you buy a few donuts and a cider, with Frisk just buying a couple of donuts. You solve the next couple puzzles, and recommend Frisk to watch the anime with Alphys sometime. You get past Muffet’s Parlor easily and have an opera with Mettaton. Frisk looks convinced that this was all staged, but thanks Alphys anyway.

 

Sans is waiting for you and Frisk at the Resort.

 

“hey, i heard you were going to pass through the core. mind grabbing a bite to eat with me?” he asks, and both you and Frisk nod, “excellent. follow me, i know a shortcut.”

 

* * *

  


It’s Raining Somewhere Else is playing, and you are just sitting back in your chair, losing yourself in the Theme. Sans knows that you know most of his dialogue, so he doesn’t look too bothered at the fact that you aren’t listening.

 

Thanks to your frequent showings here, food arrives for you, and you eat it quietly. Sans and Frisk both steal some of your meal, but you aren’t bothered with it; Sans usually does this when you eat here as a running joke, and Frisk hasn’t had much to eat since Grillby’s. You just slide the rest of your meal towards him, and he just devours it.

 

When Sans finally leaves, your phone buzzes, so you check it.

 

ALPHYS: mtt just called me

ALPHYS: he wants you and the other boy to go to your dressing room

ALPHYS: i dont know why but you know that hes changed to his own script by now

SAVEscummer: figured he’d do that

 

“Frisk,” you call to him, who stops shoving food into his mouth for as long as you have his attention, “Alphys told me that we need to go to the dressing room.”

 

Frisk nods, and finishes eating the rest of his food.

 

“Where is it?” he asks.

 

“Follow me. I have used it over the course of my performances here for the past three years,” you respond.

 

“May I ask you a question?” Frisk asks, and you nod, “Is this all… just staged?”

 

You open the door to your dressing room, and take a deep breath, “That’s for yourself to figure out. It _is_ the Trial of Mind, after all.”

 

“So, it is staged,” he replies, “But why?”

 

“It’s to test your mind, and see if you can see through acts, and think of solutions,” you reply.

 

“Welcome to your dressing room, little buddy,” a bored voice says from another room.

 

When Mettaton first hired him, he was placed as the shop employee. But after the Glamburger Incident, as you called it, you decided to spare Burgerpants from shame by persuading Mettaton into making Burgerpants your personal dresser, to which he disliked at first, but you managed to cheer him up (marginally) by saying that it was a step up from dealing with angry customers.

 

“Sup, BP,” you say to him. As cruel as fate was, his initials were truly BP, but you never bothered to learn what they stood for, “You know the usual. BBZ for the both of us, and the tuxedos with the least sequins.”

 

“Sure, sure,” he replies.

 

You were finished first, and while Burgerpants was working on Frisk in the next room, your phone buzzes with a call, It’s Showtime playing.

 

“What’s new with the script?” you ask. The script was originally going to just be a dance-off at the end of the CORE, but Mettaton apparently changed it.

 

“I RECONFIGURED THE CORE’S ROOMS SO THAT YOU MUST GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE CORE, DODGING LASERS AND DEFEATING ENEMIES. IT WILL THEN END IN THE SCHEDULED DANCE-OFF!” Mettaton’s metallic voice says through the receiver.

 

“Sounds great,” you say, barely keeping yourself from gritting your teeth.

 

“EXCELLENT. TOODLES~” he says, hanging up.

 

You sigh, then call out to Frisk, “Hope you’re good with lasers, because your other skills might not _cut_ it.”

 

“Hey!” Frisk calls back, but you can tell that he’s smiling.

 

* * *

  


Going through the CORE like this makes you feel like you’re in a futuristic secret agent movie, but both you and Frisk manage to get through it unscathed, and before you know it, you’re both standing before the last room. Frisk Saves before you both enter the last chamber.

 

“AH, THERE YOU TWO ARE. MY NEMESES. WELL, IT’S TOO LATE! IN A FEW MINUTES, MY ULTIMATE PLAN WILL UNLEASH! EVERYONE WILL BE UNDER MY CONTROL BY MY ‘BRAINWASH RAY’. HOWEVER, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO STOP ME AND STOP IT BY PRESSING THIS BUTTON BEHIND ME! AND THAT IS IF YOU CAN BEAT ME IN DANCING!” dramatic music plays, “DO _YOU_ HAVE THE HEART, MIND, AND SOUL TO GET PAST ME?”

 

“Yes we do!” you and Frisk yell in unison, pumped up by the music.

 

“MY MY MY. SUCH BOLDNESS. HOWEVER, I DOUBT THAT YOU CAN GET PAST ME. IF YOU TAKE A STEP FORWARD, THEN I SHALL REVEAL MY **REAL FORM**!” you and Frisk take a bold step forward in defiance, “FINE. HAVE IT YOUR WAY. BEHOLD! MY REAL FORM!” he shouts.

 

Mettaton’s box body begins to transform, and darkness drops around you. Stage lights and smoke shine where Mettaton is, silhouetting him.

 

“Oh, yesss~” he says, “Darlings, you shouldn’t have forced me to go into my real form. I’ll make your last moments of being yourselves,” a bright light flares, revealing Mettaton EX, “Absolutely beautiful.” and music starts playing.

 

Huh, it’s the remix Napstablook made of his own Theme and Death by Glamour. Mettaton gently pushed him into making the remix, to show his gratitude for Napstablook being with him.

 

You and Mettaton have an unspoken agreement to not use your glitching, to make certain shows more interesting. You recognize the attacks he’s using; the ones you and Alphys made to appear to hurt like an actual attack without the damage of one, leaving you looking realistically hurt when you actually are fine.

 

The essay comes after a few turns, so you take out your phone, and type.

 

ALittleFrisky: legs. the answer is legs

SAVEscummer: Blooky’s music <3

 

“The answer was Blooky’s music, though I won’t say no to legs,” Mettaton says, then uses the Soul attack.

 

By the time you get three-quarters of the way across, the breaktime attack happens, which is just a few minutes of no cameratime. Some crew members run across the stage, giving you, Frisk, and Mettaton some tea.

 

“How’s the battery doing?” you ask Mettaton.

 

“Wonderful, darling. I don’t know what you and Alphys did to it, but it is doing fabulously,” he replies, “I hardly left even ninety-nine percent since the start of this segment.”

 

“That’s good to hear. By the way, Papyrus will be wanting more autographs,” you reply. He doesn’t need to know yet, but you and Alphys replaced the normal battery fuels with extracted Determination from various fragments of your Soul (at safe intervals, of course). As you suspected, Determination is an extremely effective and efficient power source.

 

Mettaton turns to Frisk, “And you darling, are you having fun?”

 

“Mhm,” he replies, still nervous about Mettaton.

 

“Well, I sure hope you are! There’s nothing better than slight improvisation from unwitting stars,” Mettaton says.

 

“One minute to continuation!” a crew member shouts.

 

You all finish your tea, then get back into positions. After a countdown, the dance-off continues.

 

The rest of the segment goes as well as you’d expect. When you and Frisk press the button at the same time, the fake countdown stops, and you know that in the editing it will be shown that you stopped it at a millisecond left.

 

Alphys enters the room quickly, and asks Mettaton a few things. He replies as best as he can, and then Alphys shuffles you and Frisk out the back, but first giving you the autographs you told Mettaton.

 

When walking down the hallway, the dialogue is slightly changed when you and Frisk are about to enter the elevator.

 

“I lied,” she starts, turning around, “John, you may know this, but a human Soul is not strong enough to pass through the Barrier alone. It takes a human Soul… and a Monster Soul. You’d have to _kill the King_ if you want to pass, but he won’t allow for any Fights with humans as low of LOVE as you have,” Alphys takes a deep breath, “You’ll be stuck down here with us for the rest of your life,” she takes a step forward, “I’m sorry,” then she runs off.

 

Frisk looks a little shocked, his mouth slightly ajar, but he seems to feel bad for Alphys as well. He turns to you, wearing an expression that clearly states, even without a cyan-yellow eye, ‘what should we do’?

 

You hope that things will work out well, as you state “Let’s go back to the resort. Maybe someone might help us out.”

 

Frisk nods, and you both walk back to the stage area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I mentioned, the presence of John in the timeline has made it so that Mettaton will be more cooperative, and not want to take Frisk's Soul in order to leave the Underground, at least not without Napstablook
> 
> My brother and I also believe that Determination, if harnessed as a source of power, would make an excellent fuel. Because it would come from the Soul, in which the Void leaks it into the world, it would be a virtually indefinite source of power, because the Void is always generating Determination
> 
> Lastly, no. I do not ship John and Alphys. I just wanted an excuse to have him be answer C with Alphys' usual reaction


	17. What Matters is Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You prepare Frisk for the True Lab

You and Frisk walk back through the CORE, and thankfully, the puzzles are not activated and your ‘opponents’ are standing to the side, chatting. Some of them, as you pass, nod their head in acknowledge towards you and Frisk.

 

You exit the CORE, and when you are almost to the Resort, your phone rings. When you pick up, you are not surprised to hear Undyne’s voice shouting from the receiver.

 

“Heya, punks!” her voice briefly becomes hushed, “Shut up, Papyrus, this was your idea,” it returns to normal, “I, uh, need you two to come over. It’s very urgent. Thanks!” and she hangs up.

 

Putting away your phone and sighing, you turn to Frisk, “Let’s get changed. Undyne wants us to go over as soon as possible.”

 

He nods, “I know, I heard her through your phone.”

 

“I kind of figured that,” you reply, walking off to your dressing room.

 

You and Frisk hurriedly wash off the makeup you were made to wear, change back into your original clothes, and then run off towards the R3 elevator. When you get to L1, you both run to the Riverperson, in which you ask them to bring you to Snowdin.

 

“Tra la la. Sometimes, you just need to let go of some things.”

 

You run off to your house, already knowing what the Riverperson was talking about. There, you find Undyne and Papyrus standing in front, as usual at this point in the timeline.

 

Before stopping to talk with Undyne, you open up Papyrus’ mailbox and input the autographs; you will need to have your inventory be as empty as you can during the talk. Papyrus looks even more elated than usual, and you thought that was impossible.

 

When you look back at Undyne, Frisk is talking to her, and she hands him the letter. Shrugging, you go beside him, and walk towards the Riverperson; you know that you could just glitch you both there, but two-person glitches take a lot of energy to do, depending on the distance.

 

The Riverperson doesn’t say anything noteworthy, and then you find yourselves at Hotland. You both walk up to the lab door, and find it locked, as usual. You turn to Frisk.

 

“Give me the letter, and I could just glitch in there,” you say.

 

He looks into your eyes and says “I want to do this part myself; you’re always the one who is doing things, so it’s my turn to pay you back.”

 

Sighing, you lean up against the doorframe, looking upwards in thought.

 

Frisk puts the letter under the door, and you hear Alphys on the other side.

 

“O-oh! Another letter. Maybe I-I can just s-slide it back under? N-no! I must stop running away! Though, t-this letter is c-closed rather tightly, let me just…” you hear a saw for a second, then the door opens.

 

“All right, i-if this is another p-prank, then I’ll-” she cuts herself off when she sees you and Frisk. You give a simple wave, “Oh my god. Did you two write this?”

 

You give a smile, and decide to tease Frisk “Nah, Frisk here has decided to write this letter for you.”

 

“Oh my god, that is so adorable! Okay, if you want! Let’s  **go on a date** !” Alphys says, the world surrounding them turning black and white.

 

While Alphys is changing, Frisk is glaring in your direction. In response, you give him a smile and a wink that says ‘I’m the worst, aren’t I?’

 

When she returns, you state “I’ll be downstairs,” to which Alphys nods, Frisk still glaring at you.

 

You quickly glitch yourself down to the True Lab. The Amalgamates, sensing your presence, quickly get to you. Endogeny comes in small orbs that converge, Lemon Bread kind of splashes in, the Memoryheads come in through a void of darkness (Gaster told you some time ago that while Alphys was still testing, he had to link them to the Void to keep them stable, thus making them unlike the others), Reaper Bird folds into existence at the neck and body, meanwhile Snowdrake’s Mother (to which you have taken to name ‘So Cold’) simply fades in.

 

“Alright, guys. Today’s the day I’ve been telling you about. If things go according to plan, then you’ll be able to return to your families,” you tell them, and mostly everyone seems happy, except for the Memoryheads and So Cold. You could sort of understand with So Cold; she’s afraid that she won’t be accepted back into her family, so you go over to her and give a gentle hug.

 

When you step back from the hug, you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder. You turn around, and Watchman is standing there silently. It stoops down and whispers into your ear.

 

To most people, it would sound like gibberish, but you weren’t most people.

 

“Do you remember what everyone’s duties in this are?” it asks, to make sure that you remember. You nod, because you were the one who came up with the plan.

 

The four Memoryheads in the generator room would turn off the power as Frisk is using the elevator, causing him to plummet. Then, Endogeny will turn off the fans, as to make the entire lab foggy. Reaper Bird will guard the Golden Flowers for when you and Frisk pass through. So Cold will keep the blue key safe. Lemon Bread will act as a SAVE point, revealing itself when he Saves. Lastly, you will place the notes and remaining keys in their appropriate locations.

 

The entire thing depends on Frisk discovering ‘the truth’ about the Amalgamates, and you only have one clear shot. The lucky thing about them, you found out, is that they have incomplete but sufficient memory persistence, thanks to the amount of Determination they have; about a year ago, you tested to see if they have any ability to retain memory. After a few Loads, they were able to dodge most hits that they didn’t absorb, and as a result, you treated them to some extra Chisps.

 

You hear the elevator buzzing, and when it stops, Alphys runs through. You step to the side.

 

“Sorry, g-guys. I h-have something important t-to do. I-I’ll feed you in a w-while,” she says, running down one of the corridors not seen in-game.

 

Your phone starts buzzing, and Amalgam is playing from it. The Memoryheads must have something to say to you. You answer it.

 

“Gaster informs us that Frisk is at the elevator.” “The child will descend.” “He will free all of us.” the three Memoryheads who have joined you speak through the receiver.

 

Huh, you didn’t expect Frisk to get here this early.

 

Shrugging, you hang up and turn to the Amalgamates, shouting “Alright, everyone! Let’s get into position!” and with that, everyone disperses.

 

You wait for about a minute. After that minute, you are plunged into darkness.

 

* * *

  
  


A few seconds later, the emergency lighting kicks in, painting the normally lighter-colored lab into a slight green. Sighing, you sit on the nearest bench. Alphys comes running in.

 

“Oh my god! What just happened?” she says, having a nervous bounce and looking around.

 

“I don’t know what happened, but I think you should check up on the emergency generators,” you tell her. Luckily, they were just the right distance away from the main generator to allow you enough time for you and Frisk to get the main generator back on.

 

She nods, and runs out of the room.

 

Once she is out of hearing range, you hear the elevator crash into the bottom, and feel the violent shaking. Figuring that you had roughly one minute before he wakes up, you quickly glitch the notes and keys into their usual spots, and get back to the benches by the time you hear the elevator doors open.

 

You hear Frisk’s footsteps echo through the corridor, stopping every several steps. He’s reading the entries, no doubt.

 

Soon enough, he enters the room you are in, with the door to the generator. He looks around, and when he sees you, he sighs in relief.

 

“John, the elevator just lost power, so there’s no way back up,” Frisk tells you.

 

“Good work, Captain Obvious,” you tease.

 

He just rolls his eyes, but then they brighten up, “Wait, can’t you just glitch us out?”

 

You shake your head, “No, because for some reason, my glitching down here is sort of like the Barrier; I can glitch to and within here, but I can’t glitch out,” you say, in which it was true. You don’t know why it is like that.

 

Frisk’s eyes become sadder, but then brighten up again, “Can you glitch us into the main generator?”

 

You shake your head again, “They require the colored keys to turn on, and I don’t have them on me right now.”

 

He sighs irritably, “Of course, that would be convenient.”

 

“Want to help me get them? I think someone left some notes to remind themselves,” you say, gesturing toward the note on the ground.

 

“Okay,” Frisk says, irritated.

 

You and Frisk walk to the left corridor, and you suggest turning on the sinks to allow for white noise to think to. Not questioning you, he turns on the sinks.

 

One of the Memoryheads appears from the faucet, and you enter a Fight. One of them winks at you, then the fighting starts.

 

You lean to Frisk, and whisper to him “Take out your cell phone, and then next turn refuse their offer.”

 

He nods, too scared to question. He does what you told him to do, and before you know it, the Fight is over, revealing the red key.

 

“What the HECK was that?” he wonders aloud, to no one in particular.

 

“That, my brother, was an Amalgamate. Memoryheads, to be more specific, for what one this was.”

 

“How would you know?” Frisk asks you, suspicious.

 

You sigh, “Because I’ve been helping Alphys with them as soon as I met her.”

 

“And, why were they being hidden?”

 

“You will find out soon, Frisk,” you reply. He just grumbles under your breath.

 

The rest of the True Lab goes rather smoothly, with the two of you collecting the keys and finding out what went on here. With each entry, Frisk’s expression went from scared, to understanding, then sympathetic. After pacifying the final Amalgamate and inserting the last key, you and Frisk run to the generator room, glitching apparently off of your minds.

 

Frisk presses the button to the generator, with the four other Memoryheads appearing behind you. When they get close enough to touch you, Alphys runs in to help you.

 

“Stop! I-I got you guys some food,” she says, and the Memoryheads run off to get it.

 

After the usual spiel, but before she leaves, you pull her aside briefly.

 

“I’m sorry, but you have to know; I planned for the shutdown of the power here,” you tell her, and her expression changes to shock, but you quickly continue “I had to do it so that it would be the final push for you to allow them to leave. You needed that, and I  _ know _ that you will feel better after you take them home.”

 

Alphys looks like she is about to become angry, but quickly pulls it in.

 

“I, I understand. I needed the push, and you helped provide it. I just hoped that it would end another way,” she says.

 

You pull her into a hug, then release her from it after a bit, “Now, aren’t you supposed to bring these guys home?”

 

“Oh yeah, right,” Alphys says, and scurries off.

 

You lead Frisk back to the elevator (not before reading the entries, of course), and then his phone rings. You know this phone call. Frisk answers it.

 

You can barely make out what is being said, but it is sufficient, “The Angel and his Player, what a strange combination. Thanks to you both, everything has fallen into place. See you soon!”

 

The caller hangs up, and the elevator is violently started.

 

* * *

  
  


When you and Frisk come back into focus, you see that the elevator is blocked by vines. You lead him to the other elevator, which is not in use, thankfully, so you use it.

 

You and Frisk get to the Judgement Hall. Sans says his usual spiel, but you tell Frisk to Load, in which he does.

 

Frisk goes through the spiel again, though this time Sans notices that he looks bored, then tells him the first ‘secret code phrase’.

 

“I am the Legendary Fartmaster,” Frisk says, and you hold in a giggle. He doesn’t need to know, but the entire reason you and Sans did the whole ‘code phrase’ thing was so that you’d have an excuse to hear Frisk say something childish.

 

“did... did you just say ‘i’m the legendary fartmaster’? wow, kid. that’s really immature. whoever told you that that was my secret-secret code phrase was a dirty liar. but that is my secret-secret triple-secret code phrase, in which you said. it is time. you now get to know ‘the truth’. see ya around,” Sans says, and, before shortcutting away, hands Frisk the key to his room.

 

Frisk just looks at you, but you just shrug, “Sans is weird,” you tell him.

 

He sighs, “Should I find out where this goes?”

 

“Not now, we’ve got a king to meet,” you reply.

 

You and Frisk walk forward towards the exit. You both are filled with Determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that the last part is so short; I was in a time crunch by the time I wrote that part
> 
> So yeah, in this timeline, it was John who set up the 'power failure' experienced in the True Lab. Everyone just wants to go home
> 
> Another thing is the Memoryheads; in this world, Gaster was already in the Void by the time of the Determination Projects. He saw that the monsters that eventually became the Memoryheads were too unstable, so he linked them to the Void to stabilize them with its own Determination, and it resulted in them taking on a different appearance than the rest


	18. What Matters is Becoming Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Frisk engage in the final Fight of the True Pacifist Route

You and Frisk walk into the throne room. Asgore, as usual, is watering his flowers.

 

You clear your throat, “Dad, I’m here. I also brought a friend.”

 

Asgore straightens at the sound of your voice, “John, you’re here. Just a moment, let me finish with these flowers,” he says, and finishes emptying his watering can. He turns around, “Now, what was it that you’ve brought-” he cuts himself off.

 

When he sees that you brought Frisk, he steps back as if he was seeing a ghost. You understand that he is technically seeing a ghost, as Frisk does look a lot like Chara. After the initial shock, he appears to recover.

 

“Oh,” Asgore says, and you hear Small Shock. You walk up to him, “Yes, little one?”

 

“He has no LOVE, and Karmic Retribution took my entire Theme to drain a single point of health,” you state to him, and he looks somewhat relieved.

 

“Oh!” Asgore says, apparently having remembered something, “It’s that time of the week again. Come with me, especially you little one,” he gestures to Frisk, “This is something that has apparently become a thing with him.”

 

You and the other two walk into the Barrier room, and Asgore steps to where he would usually initiate the Fight. The Soul canisters rise from the ground.

 

You learned when you first started doing this that where he steps is a hidden pressure plate, and will activate when he uses a bit of his magic. The two connections are then routed to an AND logic gate, and if both conditions are met, then the Soul canisters are brought to the surface of the Barrier.

 

“Hello,” you say to the Souls. You can hear them in soft whispers giving their responses. It is not well known, but apparently bodiless Souls are able to communicate like that. Asgore allowed you to talk to them due to your boredom between your Soul mode lessons with him.

 

He appeared to have visited them every once in a while, but when you had accompanied him during one of your lessons, he noticed that the Souls appeared much better and more vibrant in your presence, and continued to be so for a few weeks. It has since become a weekly occurrence for you to talk with the Souls. For quite some time, you had done this with no incidence.

 

That was until roughly five months ago, when Asgore had to leave early, leaving you alone, and you apparently forgot the Soul canisters out in the open when you left.

 

Flowey apparently found them, and broke the deal.

 

There was a lot of mayhem as Flowey became Omega Flowey. Using his immense power, he quickly located you, and grabbed you with his vines, to bring you to his pocket dimension for the torture of more information.

 

Sans and Papyrus grabbed onto you at the last second, coming along with you. And apparently the dimension was only accessible near the barrier, where any human-originated magic is at its most powerful.

 

It was a long and difficult fight even with the help of the skelebros (Flowey only nicked them in comparison to you) and your own magic, but due to your frequent talks with the Souls, they came to the rescue much sooner during their segments, and healing much more. Sans decided to just screw everything when Finale started playing, and just used his blasters to almost insta-kill Flowey. The Souls even managed to prevent Flowey from killing you several times in succession.

 

When it came to sparing him, you and Papyrus instinctually Spared him, while it took a while for Sans to grudgingly Spare, remembering his importance in the future.

 

It seemed like six Souls are enough to at least allow Monster Souls through temporarily, because when you walked out of the Underground (just to check the surrounding area), Sans and Papyrus were beside you. Both of them were excited to be on the Surface, but you had to remind them of everyone back in the Underground.

 

You suggested that you three should use this time to check out the area, for when everyone will be freed, before you Load back.

 

* * *

  
  


You are shaken from the memories by a voice you weren’t expecting to hear for at least another hour.

 

“Asgore Dreemurr,” Toriel says, glaring at him, “Why are you allowing the children to look at the Souls of the children you so mercilessly murdered?”

 

Asgore looks happier at the sight of her as he says “Tori… you came back!”

 

“Do not ‘Tori’ me, Dreemurr, you pathetic whelp. Now answer my question!” Toriel responds.

 

“Well, you see, uh, the Souls appear to be better in his, ahem, presence,” he responds.

 

“And why would you allow the Souls this mercy in death as you can’t have in life?” she says.

 

You butt in, “I did that of my own accord; I just wanted to help them in any way I can.”

 

Asgore looks thankful, “He’s right, and you are right. I am a pathetic whelp. But, do you think we can at least be friends again?”

 

Toriel looks like she’s about to have the in-game response, but appears to slightly reconsider, sighing in her most calm voice “Even though you mercilessly cut down those children,” she throws a look at the Souls, “you did show mercy to these two,” she looks at you and Frisk, “and helped John with his Soul training. For that, I think that I can allow a small pass. For their sakes.”

 

“NGAHHH!” Undyne says as she jumps in, “Asgore! What did I say about having meetings… without me… … ?”

 

“Oh! Are you a friend of the children? I’m Toriel.” Toriel says.

 

“You BET that I’m besties with these punks!” she says, running to you and Frisk to give you noogies.

 

“H-hey! I’ve been t-told about something to d-do with the Barrier r-room?” Alphys says, walking in.

 

“Oh! Are you another friend of these two? I’m Toriel,” Toriel introduces herself to Alphys.

 

“W-what? Oh, y-yeah! I am a f-friend of those two,” she replies.

 

“WHAT IS EVERYONE DOING HERE WITHOUT ME?” Papyrus says, running in.

 

“Hello,” Toriel says.

 

“HELLO YOUR MAJESTY. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE!” he responds. You’re so glad that you introduced him to her a few months ago, otherwise this would’ve been a lot more awkward.

 

“hey guys, what’s up?” Sans says, strolling in no doubt from a shortcut.

 

“Hello, Sans. It’s nice to see you again,” she says.

 

“More like it’s  _ ice _ to see each other without us being  _ Snowdin _ ,” you state. Toriel is snorting with laughter, and Sans is chuckling.

 

“You two know each other?” Asgore questions.

 

“heh, yeah. she’s my best audience,” Sans chuckles.

 

“Oh my god! Will one of you couples just smooch already? The audience is dying for some romantic action!” Mettaton says, stepping a leg in. You know your Sans enough to know that ‘Soriel’ would not happen in any timeline here.

 

“HEY, SHUT UP!!!” Undyne yells to Mettaton, who disappears, “Man, the nerve of that guy! Right, Alphys? Alphys?”

 

“No, he’s right,” Alphys says, “LET’S DO IT!”

 

“Really??? Well??? Uh??? I guess??? If you want to??? Then??? Don’t hold anything back!!!” Undyne says.

 

Undyne and Alphys slowly start to go for a kiss (for some reason, the flapping of their lips always makes you want to laugh), but Toriel intervenes when their lips are about to meet.

 

“W-wait! Not in front of the boys!” she says.

 

“R-right. Sorry, got a l-little carried away there,” Alphys says.

 

Everyone gathers in the front of the both of you.

 

“Heeheehee, well my children, it looks like you two will have to stay here awhile. I know that it must be hard for you, innocent one,” Toriel looks at Frisk, “but look at John; he has helped everyone here, so you might be able to help as well. We don’t have much down here, but you will be happy here.”

 

You are smiling so wide that your cheeks hurt, and all of it is towards Frisk.

 

Too bad he doesn’t know what will happen next like you.

 

“H-hey, that reminds me. Papyrus... YOU called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her. Uh, anyway... If I got here before you... How did you know how to call everybody?” Alphys asks Papyrus.

 

“LET’S JUST SAY… A FLOWERY FRIEND TOLD ME.” Papyrus exclaims.

 

“A f-flower told y-you?” Alphys asks, and you can pretty much can see the alarms going off in her head.

 

A vine stretches out, and with a flash of light, everyone is entangled. Flowey pops up, smiling.

 

“You IDIOTS. While you were having your little pow-wow...  I took the human Souls! And now, not only are THOSE under my power... But all of your FRIENDS' Souls are gonna be mine, too! Hee hee hee,” Flowey says.

 

“Wow, Flowey. That was grade-A villainy right there,” you say in a bored voice, “Telling us what your evil plan is before you kill us. I think you should get a medal.”

 

“I don’t need YOU to tell everyone my plans. I’M capable of doing it myself,” he spits out to you.

 

“Can you just skip over the monologue about making everyone love us and the offer of giving our happy ending if we ‘win’? ‘Cause I’ve already heard that, like a million times before,” you say.

 

“SCREW IT! You’re always ruining my fun! If you want your happy ending so badly,” he summons two rings of pellets around your neck, and a ring of pellets around Frisk’s Soul, “Then you’ll have to suffer through all of your worthless friends WATCHING YOU BOTH DIE 1,000,000 TIMES!” he quickly snaps the rings closed, resulting in your neck rapidly bruising, and Frisk’s Soul shaking.

 

He does it twice more, laughing maniacally, and you know that one more attack would spell doom for you quickly. On the final attack, he brings it slowly, as if to make you suffer.

 

You simply smile as Flowey brings the pellets closer.

 

You feel heat with no burn as flames surround you, and Frisk’s Soul. Flowey looks perplexed. Frisk takes a look at Toriel. Don’t Give Up starts to play.

 

“Do not be afraid, my children. No matter what happens... we will be there to protect you,” she says. You feel your bruising lighten up somehow.

 

Flowey attacks you both again, but a bone and spear protect you.

 

“THAT’S RIGHT, BROTHERS,” you feel glad that he appears to consider Frisk as a brother as well, “YOU BOTH CAN WIN!!! JUST DO WHAT I WOULD DO… BELIEVE IN YOU!”

 

“You both have the heart to do what is right! And if you can become besties with me, then you can do anything!”

 

“huh, this guy hasn’t learned his lesson from a few months ago? come on, this weirdo’s got nothing on you two.”

 

Flowey’s attacks get more enraged, but a column of fire and electricity blocks them.

 

“S-statistically speaking, it is impossible f-for you two to defeat him with t-this amount of power, b-but somehow, I believe that you can d-do it!”

 

“Boys, for the future of humans and Monsters… ! You have to stay determined!”

 

Multiple Monsters you have befriended appear all around.

 

“Teach this guy to  _ chill out _ !”

 

“La la la la!”

 

“We’re here with you too!”

 

“C’mon, you got this!”

 

“You’ve GOT to win!”

 

“(Hopeful puppy eyes)”

 

“You can do it!”

 

“Ribbit.”

 

Huh, with each thing that fills you with immense Determination, even your physical injuries are now completely healed.

 

“Urrrgh... NO! Unbelievable!! This can't be happening! You... You...!” Flowey says, about to look pissed.

 

He puts on his trolling face, and time seems to stop for everyone but you, Frisk, and himself.

 

“I can’t believe you’re all so STUPID.”

 

Time resumes, and the area fades into white as Flowey laughs “ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!”

 

The white comes to a climax, then you and Frisk are in a black room, with one other person. They flex their fingers, and their shoulders shake in quiet laughs.

 

“Finally. I was so tired of being a flower.”

 

They turn around, and lift their head.

 

“Howdy! An Angel and a Player, against a god. I think we all know who will win.”

 

There’s a bright flash of light, but leaving no afterimages, and the figure is changed, and floating, looking older.

 

A S R I E L   D R E E M U R R.

 

* * *

  
  


Hopes and Dreams is playing, and you can pinpoint its exact origin.

 

Frisk.

 

You navigate to your Act Menu.

 

*Check      *Determination

*Fragment

 

You select Determination, while Frisk selects Hope, apparently.

 

*Through sheer Determination, your health points go above your max!

 

You look at your health. Huh, it’s now 40.

 

You dodge attacks successfully until after the twentieth second of the Theme, where it ceases immediately, and the world goes into rainbows.

 

You dodge a few attacks, then get to the attack after Star Blazing.

 

“You know… I don’t care about destroying this world anymore,” Asriel says. Shocker Breaker is next.

 

You choose Fragment, while Frisk chooses Dream.

 

*You take out a fragment and hold it up to the air. Sacrificing 5 health, your invincibility increases by 10!

 

You will need to keep an eye on your health whenever you do this, you tell yourself. A lightning bolt hits you, but that isn’t what is a little distracting. Unlike most other times where each fragment of your Soul (whenever hit in glitchy-style) has its own invincibility frames, it acted as if your Soul was like a normal one, with each hit affecting your entire Soul.

 

“After I defeat you two and gain total control over the timeline… I just want to reset everything.”

 

You dodge the sabers expertly. Frisk, on the other hand, has taken a couple of hits.

 

You choose Fragment again. Losing health like this hurts, but it will be worth it.

 

“All your progress... Everyone’s memories… I’ll bring them all back to zero!”

 

“Hey! That took me a long time to achieve!” you yell at him as you dodge more lightning bolts. Asriel just laughs.

 

You use Fragment.

 

“Then we can do everything ALL over again.”

 

“Not a fan of such long periods of repeats,” you say as a side note. A star clips your arm.

 

“And you know what the best part of all this is? You’ll DO it!”

 

“That was me BEFORE this all happened to me! I’m no longer that person! Not completely, anyway,” you shout. You remember the pattern for the first Chaos Buster, so you call to Frisk to mirror your movements.

 

“And then you’ll lose to me again.”

 

“Not on my watch!” you yell, looking at Frisk. Your eyes widen.

 

His Soul cracks in half. But, before it could shatter, it comes back together.

 

***But it refused.**

 

You don’t notice the star projectiles from the Chaos Sabers crash into your own Soul until it’s too late, your Soul beginning to glitch out of existence.

 

Your consciousness is already fading, and you vaguely hope that nothing will happen to your body while your Soul heals.

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

No, you must stay determined! For all your Monster friends and family, and most importantly, your newest brother, Frisk...

 

***YOU REFUSED TO LEAVE THE FIGHT!!!**

 

Gasping, you see your Soul come back into focus, and it’s back at full health.

 

**YOU ARE DETERMINED!!!**

 

With renewed vigor, you get through the next few turns with relative ease, not paying attention to what Asriel is saying. Frisk notices, and starts shadowing you.

 

“Now, ENOUGH messing around! It’s time to purge this timeline once and for all!” Asriel says, and you see Hyper Goner materialize.

 

Before it starts sucking everything in, you turn your Soul yellow. Frisk is right behind you, so you try, and succeed, to shoot everything in your path with no damage to either of you.

 

“... even after that attack, you're still standing in my way...? Wow... you really ARE something special. But don't get cocky. Up until now, I've only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let's see what good your DETERMINATION is against THIS!!”

 

Asriel begins stretching and shifting, your vision going white.

 

* * *

  
  


When he reappears, it’s like he became the Delta Rune. You and Frisk are trapped.

 

Not paying attention to what Asriel is saying, you struggle for some turns.

 

You try in vain to reach your Save File, but know that it’s pointless. You try again, putting more Determination into it. You fail. But, with what your Determination can do, maybe you can Save your friends, like in the game.

 

“Frisk!” you yell to him, and he turns to you, “Help me Save everyone!”

 

He looks confused, knowing that he has already tried reaching for his Save File, but then realizes. He nods towards you.

 

You can feel the familiar sensation of Saving enter you, as you begin to Save everyone.

 

The only ones who have any unique ‘Saved’ dialogue are Sans and Papyrus.

 

“NO! YOU TWO ARE MY BROTHERS! I CAN’T DO THAT TO YOU!”

 

“you both have grown so much in the time we’ve known each other.”

 

You and Frisk Save everyone, but something is at the back of your mind. You remember that there is one more person to Save, and you look at Frisk. He seems to be having the same idea as you. Your eyes widen as you remember the last person to Save.

 

“Asriel!” you and Frisk call in unison.

 

“Huh? What are you doing...?” Asriel says, and your vision becomes white yet again.

 

You and Frisk see sepia pictures of when he found Chara, though you feel like at this point the whole ‘Frisk being Chara’ thing is no longer applicable in the timeline.

 

“Wh… what did you do...?” Asriel says. He summons fire bullets.

 

“We’re Saving you,” you and Frisk say.

 

“What’s this feeling... What’s happening to me?”

 

“You need to feel again,” you both whisper, “Feel the Souls.”

 

“No! NO! I don't need ANYONE!” he yells, and the attacks become more numerous, nearly being impossible to dodge.

 

“Yes, you do.”

 

“STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me!? I'll tear you apart!” the attacks become less numerous.

 

“No, because we’re Determined!”

 

“Do you know why I'm doing this...? Why I keep fighting to keep you around...? I'm doing this… Because you are the only ones who could understand me… Who have felt death, and don’t want to EVER go back there… Without you, there would be no one else left to toy with. I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to people like you again… So, please... STOP doing this… AND JUST LET ME WIN!!!” and with that, he fires the enormous beam.

 

You feel as if your skin is being flayed away by rough sand, but you and Frisk stay Determined.

 

“STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!!!” Asriel yells, but you hold your ground. He finally stops, “I’m so alone. I’m so afraid. ...I… I…”

 

* * *

  
  


After your vision goes white for the who-knows time today, you see Asriel in front of you two, crying.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he wipes his eyes, then looks at you both, “I know, I’m a crybaby. Just like what Chara kept telling me. And, I know that neither of you are Chara, as he’s been dead for a long time.”

 

“I was pretty sure that you knew that neither of us were him, considering what you said there at the end,” you say. Asriel smiles.

 

“I knew, though, what ARE your names? Because I’ve just been thinking of you two as just the Angel and Player.”

 

“My name is Frisk,” he says.

 

“My name is John,” you say.

 

“Frisk? John? Those... are nice names,” Asriel replies, and both you and Frisk smile.

 

“Guys… I haven't felt like this for a very long time. As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone's souls inside me… I not only have my own compassion back… But I can feel every other monster's as well. They all care about each other so much. And... they care about you too.”

 

“It does make sense,” you say, holding your chin in thought.

 

“I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus... Sans... Undyne... Alphys... Toriel. Monsters are weird. Even when they barely know you… It feels like they all really love you. Haha.”

 

“That’s just the way Monsters are,” you say knowledgeably, having lived among them for three years.

 

“Frisk, John... I... I understand if you can't forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders… There's no excuse for what I've done… especially to you, John,” Asriel says, bowing his head in shame.

 

“Well, you obviously show guilt. Plus, I can’t hold a grudge to save my life. So, instead, I forgive you,” you tell him, giving him grin.

 

“Yeah, I forgive you too,” Frisk says.

 

“Wh...what? ... guys, come on. You're… You're gonna make me cry again. ... besides, even if you do forgive me… I can't keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them. But first… There's something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts beating as one. They're all burning with the same desire. With everyone's power… With everyone's Determination… It's time for Monsters… To finally go free,” and with that, Asriel steps back, and begins using the Souls to break the Barrier, Final Power playing. You hear a massive shattering sound in the background.

 

The Barrier has been destroyed.

 

Asriel softly goes back to the ground, then turns to you and Frisk.

 

“Frisk, John… I have to go now. Without the power of everyone's souls… I can't keep maintaining this form. In a little while… I'll turn back into a flower. I'll stop being "myself." I'll stop being able to feel love again. So... guys. It's best if you just forget about me, OK? Just go be with the people who love you.”

 

Without thinking, you walk up to him and wrap him in a hug. A second later, you feel Frisk join, so you do a three-person hug.

 

“Ha… ha… I don’t want to let go,” and after a few seconds, you end the embrace, “Frisk, John… You're… You're going to do a great job, OK? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you, okay? Well… My time is running out. Goodbye. By the way… Guys. ... take care of Mom and Dad for me, OK?” you and Frisk nod.

 

Your vision goes white yet again.

 

* * *

  
  


“Boys, wake up! You need to wake up! This is all just a bad dream!”

 

Shifting, you can feel Frisk beside you, also stirring awake.

 

Once you and Frisk get up, you turn to everyone. Reunited is playing.

 

“Thank goodness you woke up! You were both out for a very long time!” Toriel says.

 

“yeah, you even made papyrus cry,” Sans ribs.

 

“I WAS NOT CRYING. I JUST HAD… SOMETHING IN MY EYE!” Papyrus exclaims.

 

“what was it then?”

 

“TEARS!” Papyrus says, tears coming from eyes that somehow appeared in his sockets.

 

“Yes, well I’m afraid that we do not know much. There was a flower, then everything went white! But, somehow, the Barrier is gone. We would love to go to the Surface, but… I suggest that you go talk with all of the wonderful friends you have made,” Toriel says.

 

You look at Frisk. He looks back at you.

 

“Want to take a shortcut?” you ask him.

 

“Where to?” he asks.

 

“You’ll see,” you respond.

 

“Fine,” he says, and you grab his shoulder.

 

Concentrating on your destination, you quickly glitch yourselves.

 

You end up in the room where you meet Flowey.

 

“Thought that would take the wind out of you,” Frisk says, relieved.

 

“Yeah, well that Determination boost before the fight must have given me the energy. I hardly feel tired,” you reply. You both walk into the pit.

 

Asriel is there, at the flower bed. You approach him.

 

“It’s you guys. Thought it would take you longer to get here,” he says, “But don’t worry about me; someone has to take care of these flowers.”

 

“I know; Chara is down there,” you say, and he nods sadly.

 

“Please, just leave me alone, I can't come back. I just can't, OK? I don't want to break their hearts all over again,” he says.

 

“That’s not why I’m here,” you say.

 

“Then… why are you here? To keep me company?” Asriel asks.

 

“No, just want to talk about some important things,” you put it simply.

 

“Okay, but I get to ask the first question; I know that you were once just named ‘the Player’ here, and that book mentioned that you did some sins against the Angel, who is obviously Frisk. I’ve got to ask: what were those sins?” he says.

 

Feeling awkward that Frisk is right behind you, you still answer, “Well, this is from my perspective; I was just playing a game named Undertale, which is pretty much what happened here, except without my influence in the timeline before it. In it, until after the fight, you thought that Frisk was Chara. Once I, as the Player, make Frisk leave the Underground, everyone leaves, and you turn back into a flower, as you said. However, after rebooting the game, you, as Flowey, pretty much plead for me to leave Frisk to his life. If I continue, then you say that if you can’t persuade me to not reset, then I’ll have to erase your memories as well, allowing for the True Reset.”

 

“And how many times did you do it?” he asks. You feel like he would have been more pissed if he still had the Souls.

 

“I don’t know, not to mention that I’ve done multiple genocides. Can’t get past Sans’ final attack, though,” you say, looking down and to the right.

 

“Heh, he has caused my fair share of Resets,” he says, “Though, would you know what would’ve happened if you got past him?”

 

“After killing Asgore and finally Flowey, Chara would have appeared, and no matter what I select, the world would have been destroyed,” you say, still not looking at him.

 

Asriel’s eyes widen in horror, “I know that he wasn’t the best person, and that he hated humanity, but I know that he wouldn’t’ve gone that far.”

 

You nod, “I believe that it’s because he would’ve been drugged on LOVE and Determination. My Determination, to be more specific.”

 

He looks at you, confusedly, “How would’ve he been drugged by your Determination through a game?”

 

You bite your lip, “Feeding off of my Determination through my actions as Frisk.”

 

Asriel just sighs, “Well, you can’t regret hard decisions for the rest of your life. Not that I have much of one left.”

 

Wanting to get out of the sheer awkwardness, you suggest “I think that you and Frisk should talk.”

 

Asriel seems to understand that it was getting awkward for you, and nods. You walk out of sight, but still in hearing range. Other than a few changes in dialogue, such as mentioning that Asriel was just projecting who Chara was rather than thinking that he was Chara himself, the speech remains unchanged. Frisk walks into sight, and you awkwardly follow. You can’t bear to look at him.

 

“John? John. Look at me!” he says, and you force yourself to look him in the eyes, “What’s the matter?”

 

You shrug, “Just… what I said to him. With you in hearing range.”

 

“Well, do you want to know what I think?” he says threateningly. Nervously, you nod, closing your eyes to wait for the metaphorical blow.

 

What you did not expect was Frisk embracing you in a hug, “W-what? I thought you’d yell at me?”

 

“I don’t care what you did to a virtual version of myself. All I care about is what you do to myself as I am now,” he says, “And besides, you have changed from that person, haven’t you?”

 

You think back. You do kind of agree; your experiences during these three years have changed you.

 

“I’d guess you’re right, Frisk,” you tell him, “Now, want another shortcut? I bet everyone’s itching to get to the Surface. Especially Sans and Papyrus, even though they lack the skin for it.”

 

Frisk laughs, “That’s the John I’ve come to love and know,” he says, “Now, let’s take that shortcut, brother.”

 

* * *

  
  


You and Frisk arrive in front of everyone, and walk to the Barrier room. You leave the Underground for the second time in your life.

 

When you are outside, everyone follows. You’re both beside Toriel.

 

“Oh, my…” she says.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful, everyone?” Asgore asks.

 

“Wow… it’s e-even better than on TV. WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!” Alphys exclaims.

 

“Guys, you LIVE with this? The sunlight is so nice… and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!” Undyne says.

 

“HEY SANS… WHAT’S THAT GIANT BALL?” Papyrus says. Oh yeah, it was nighttime when you defeated Omega Flowey with them.

 

“we call that ‘the sun,’ my friend.” Sans replies.

 

“THAT’S THE SUN?! WOWIE!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!!”

 

“I could stand here and watch this for hours…” Asgore says.

 

“It is beautiful, it is not?” Toriel states, “But we should really think about what comes next.”

 

“Oh, right. Everyone… This is the beginning of a bright new future,” Asgore starts, “An era of peace between humans and Monsters. Boys, I have something to ask of you two,” you and Frisk turn to him, “Will you act as our ambassadors to the humans?”

 

“Yes!” you both shout out.

 

“YEAH! THEY WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADORS! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I’LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!” Papyrus says, and runs off.

 

“welp, someone’s gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys.” Sans says, and walks back into the mountain, no doubt going to take a shortcut.

 

“Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING? Papyrus, wait!!!” and with that, Undyne runs off after Papyrus.

 

“Hey, Undyne!! Wait up!!” Alphys shouts, and runs after Undyne.

 

“Whoops.” is all Asgore says, then starts walking up to the three of you. Huh, another major script change. The awkwardness between the two Boss Monsters is thick enough to gain LOVE from.

 

“Well, it seems like everyone else is quite eager to set off,” Toriel says, “Boys, you come from this world, do you not? So you must have a place to return to.”

 

“And if neither of you have a place to go back to, well, Tori and I will take good care of you,” Asgore offers.

 

You and Frisk look at each other, big smiles on your faces.

 

“We want to stay with you two,” you both exclaim.

 

“Well, if you truly have no place to go back to, then we’ll gladly take you in,” Toriel says, and both her and Asgore hold out their hands.

 

Frisk grabs Toriel’s hand, while you grab Asgore’s hand.

 

“Come on! Everyone is waiting for us!” Toriel says.

 

You and Frisk exchange expressions of pure joy, in having become unofficial brothers.

 

You are filled with Determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering, no, this is not the end. I have much more planned coming next
> 
> In other news, I wanted an excuse to have the Souls still be stolen for the Pacifist Route, because the Fight was out of the picture. It would've also given me an excuse for the Photoshop Flowey fight along with the skelebros helping, and being rewarded with a taste of the Surface before everyone else
> 
> Also, in this timeline, Asriel was only projecting Chara's personality onto Frisk and John, rather than Chara himself
> 
> Lastly, just so you know, I copied a lot of the dialogue for the Fight, Pre-Fight, and Surface straight from the Wiki (a JSE video for the Surface dialogue, in this case), while giving them my own twist of dialogue to suit the altered timeline
> 
> Will be seeing you in the next chapter!


	19. What Matters is Making it Stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone who can remember is becoming worn down

You blink as you feel your eyes get into focus. Your other senses come back slowly, and when you finally snap to focus, you realize that something is off.

 

It is way too cold for September.

 

The last thing you remember before falling asleep last night was Toriel hurriedly trying to take a picture of you and Frisk falling asleep. Now, all you see is white, and trees.

 

You’re back in the Underground. Snowdin, to be more specific.

 

You check your phone for anything important.

 

“You have 1 unread message from last timeline,” the phone declares, and you start snickering; you can always count on Alphys to cover all bases when it comes to technology. You check the message.

 

An image comes up, and sure enough, Toriel has sent the picture before the Reset. You’re glad that she sent it to you.

 

You are suddenly bombarded with text messages in your group chat.

 

COOLSKELETON95: WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

skeleTONofjokes: i think a reset just happened

COOLSKELETON95: WHAT? JOHN, WHY HAVE YOU NOT TOLD US ABOUT THE RESETS?

SAVEscummer: i didn’t think it would’ve been relevant at the time, and i hoped that this wouldn’t be one of those types of frisks. i’ll check with him right now

skeleTONofjokes: he better have a good reason for putting us back down here

 

Putting away your phone, you quickly glitch yourself to the beginning of the Ruins.

 

Frisk is just sitting where he is, looking about as confused as you are.

 

“What just happened?” he asks you. You quickly turn your irises yellow and blue, so that you can see the honest truth.

 

“I think that a Reset just happened. Was there anything that would’ve made you want a Reset?” you ask him.

 

“No!” he says. Beside his mouth, in your vision, a line leads from it, with one word.

 

Innocent.

 

Sighing in relief, you take out your phone and send a message to the skelebros.

 

SAVEscummer: he’s clean

skeleTONofjokes: you sure about that?

SAVEscummer: yellow-blue tells the honest truth

skeleTONofjokes: it can tell you what they truly believe, even if it’s not true

SAVEscummer: yes, i know. THAT incident

COOLSKELETON95: YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE

 

Sighing, you put away your phone, and hold out your hand.

 

“Want to do this together?” you ask him.

 

Frisk seems to contemplate your question, before nodding, and taking your hand.

 

“Oh, yeah! Just remembered!” you say.

 

“What was it?” he asks, sounding nervous.

 

You take out your phone, and put on an evil smile. You do to Frisk the most evil thing you can do in this timeline.

 

You send Alphys the two pictures of you and Frisk sleeping together.

 

Immediately, your phone all but explodes with text messages.

 

ALPHYS: omg

ALPHYS: who took these two pictures???

ALPHYS: and who is the other boy?

SAVEscummer: the first one was by you, the second by my mom

SAVEscummer: as for the second question, that’s Frisk, the Angel

ALPHYS: wait, how would’ve i taken the first photo???

ALPHYS: oh wait, the second one says it was taken two days from now

SAVEscummer: review the timeline notes

ALPHYS: it says…

ALPHYS: we got to the surface

ALPHYS: then why are we down here?

SAVEscummer: not even frisk knows why we were reset

ALPHYS: are you sure?

ALPHYS: yellow-blue tends to have wonky usage

SAVEscummer: YES, I REMEMBER!

 

Sighing, you smile, then show Frisk the two pictures. Immediately, his face becomes so red that his Soul would become jealous.

 

“I’m gonna freaking MURDER you!” he yells in embarrassment. He jumps at you for a tackle.

 

Smiling, you stick out your tongue, “Gotta catch me first!” and with that, you immediately shift your gravity towards the furthest wall, then start running up it.

 

“No fair!” Frisk yells, but begins laughing.

 

“If you stop this, you can play Skyrim as soon as we get to my room!” you offer.

 

“That depends. Will you not send any more embarrassing pictures of us?” he bargains.

 

“And take away all of my fun? I think not!” you laugh out.

 

“Then I won’t stop!” he yells, laughing.

 

You hop to the ground, then turn your Soul cyan, turning to Frisk.

 

“Come at me, Frisk!” you yell, getting into position.

 

He charges at you with a war cry...

 

… and promptly goes through you like you were air.

 

“How in the world did that happen?” he asks, still recovering.

 

“You can’t hit me when I have cyan mode activated,” you say, laughing. He doesn’t need to know that you had lucked out on the fifty-percent pass chance.

 

“That’s no fun!” Frisk shouts at you.

 

You smile, then turn your Soul orange. You charge at him at speeds a normal child couldn’t reach, and at the last moment, you jump at him, and tackle. You feel lucky that you both ended up in the Golden Flowers instead of the stony ground.

 

When you both are finished rolling around in the flowers from your momentum, you quickly get up, then turn your Soul purple, then start zooming around on the purple lines that only certain people can see.

 

“Hey! Wait for me!” Frisk yells.

 

“Okay,” you say, and immediately turn your Soul green. He tries stopping, but at this speed he’s gonna…

 

“Ow!” he says, bouncing off of your shield. You immediately drop the shield, and run over to him, kneeling.

 

“Oh my gosh! Are you-” you begin, but Frisk immediately punches you in the chest, relatively. You look at him, partly in shock and partly out of amazement.

 

He starts giggling, “Gotcha!”

 

You slowly clap and shake your head, “Well done,sir! Very well done,” you turn your smile evil, irises yellow, and your Soul yellow with a green fragment, “You’re gonna have to try a little harder than THAT!” you shout, always having wanted to say that line.

 

Frisk pretends to look horrified, but it didn’t stop a smile from creeping up on his face, “John, no!” he says in fake horror.

 

“John, yes!” you say evilly, and start spamming the bullets.

 

Frisk acts like he is being shot by a Monster’s bullets, when he is actually being healed.

 

You stop firing the bullets after a minute. All of this magic usage is wearing you out, so you wipe your moist brow off with your sleeve, breathing heavily.

 

“Now, what do you say about getting this timeline back on track?” you ask, and Frisk nods, but then looks confused.

 

“Wait, why is Mom not here yet?” he asks.

 

You shrug, “I believe that this place pretty much runs on a script. Well, for those who don’t remember things like us or the brothers,” you put on a contemplative look, “Though I think Flowey’s an exception.”

 

“Don’t you mean Asriel?” he replies.

 

You shake your head, “No, when he’s a flower, he’s just Flowey. At this point of the timeline, he only has the memories of Asriel, but without any Soul, he’s just Flowey.”

 

“But I thought that he’d remember through even Resets?”

 

You shrug, “Let’s find out,” and leave for the next room.

 

You see Flowey up on the mound of grass and dirt in the center of the room. Your Best Friend starts playing.

 

“Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the-” he cuts himself off, and it appears that he recognizes you and Frisk, “Oh, it’s just you two,” he says, “Well, you know the drill. We can talk about the Reset later. Let’s just get to the point.”

 

* * *

  
  


This timeline goes about as well as the previous timeline, and before you know it, you all are back on the Surface. You talked with Asriel in the Ruins, and came to find out that not even he knows how the Reset happened.

 

You and Frisk take Asgore and Toriel’s hands, and walk down the mountain. Near the bottom, as you, Sans, and Papyrus found out a few months ago, there is an empty campground, with several empty cabins. You figured that it was because it is rather late in the year.

 

September 15, you found out. That is the date everyone is freed. You could just laugh at the entirety of it; the Monsters being freed on the date that the game was released.

 

“Little ones, why do you look so exhausted? The walk was not that tiring, was it not?” Asgore asks, and you and Frisk both shake your heads.

 

“Just... quite a lot of magic usage in my case,” you mumble.

 

“Would you both like some tea? I think that Tori can bake some pie, as well,” Asgore suggests, and you wearily nod, “Alright, then. I’ll put on the kettle.”

 

You and Frisk both fall asleep before Asgore even leaves the room.

 

* * *

  
  


You snap into focus, and you find yourself standing in the middle of Snowdin Forest yet again. Quickly, you send a text to the brothers that you are on your way to Frisk. You quickly glitch to Frisk, and find him in the flower patch, shaking as he tries holding in sobs. Flowey is beside him, looking half annoyed and half concerned. You didn’t know if it was genuine concern, or if he was faking it in an effort to calm Frisk.

 

“Wh-what is happening? Why is th-this happening? W-we aren’t doing anything wrong, a-are we?” Frisk says, tears finally breaking free.

 

“No, we aren’t,” you say, and both Frisk and Flowey look at you.

 

“How would you know?” Flowey says to you, and you just shake your head.

 

“Well, for one thing, I know that I’m not causing the Reseting. At that point in the timeline, the only thing a Reset will do is erase everyone’s memories, regardless of Determination,” you say, looking at Flowey, “And you remember the last timeline clearly, correct?”

 

“What? You think I’m braindead? Of course I remember the previous timelines!” Flowey shouts.

 

“Well, I think that it’s time for us to get more… creative,” you suggest.

 

“And what do you mean by that?” Flowey asks, cocking a makeshift brow.

 

“Let’s try something new. If they fail to help with the Resets for a few timelines, then we should just screw it, and make our own script,” you say.

 

“Are you mad?! We can’t just make our own script!” he screams.

 

“Okay then. Tell me YOUR  _ brilliant plan _ at helping with this conundrum,” you reply snarkily.

 

“My brilliant plan is… well, it’s… Ugh! You’ve got me there,” he grumbles at the final sentence. Huh, you expected more resistance from him, but you feel like you should be more flattered.

 

“Let’s go, then,” you say, reaching for Frisk’s hand to help him up.

 

“You better know what you’re doing,” you hear Flowey mumble.

 

“Just winging it!” you shout at him.

 

* * *

  
  


A few timelines later, and the Resets still have no sign of ending. You tried a few things from the top of your head.

 

In the first of the tests, you had Flowey (grudgingly) play along, making all other Monsters think that he’s good, so that they will willingly give their Souls for the Barrier. The next timeline, you brought him up to the Surface, to which he seemed genuinely amazed at it.

 

The last timeline was Flowey’s least favorite. In it, after destroying the Barrier, you and Frisk went back to the Ruins, where you gave Asriel a few Soul fragments. As it turned out, the fragments had enough power to at the very least keep him himself longer than a few hours. Instead, you managed to coax him into returning with you. Toriel and Asgore were overjoyed at the sight of him, and you went to the Surface. The timeline still Reset, but at least it ended on a happier note.

 

You learned in the timeline after that that, even without the fragments retaining his form, he still felt the echoes of emotion as long as he had some. You’d call that a win in any case, but Flowey called it a slight annoyance, even if it was an improvement over his previous predicament.

 

For several scores of timelines after that, you just kept with the normal script. After several more timelines, you can feel yourself becoming worn down. Even Papyrus’ smile is becoming a tiny bit less genuine. You feel genuinely concerned for him.

 

For the past 122 timelines, you and Frisk just did nothing more than get him out of the Ruins as fast as humanly possible, and then you spend the rest of the timeline before each Reset messing around, almost never going further than the end of Snowdin. The only thing going for you and Frisk is that Papyrus and (to a lesser extent) Sans are willing to help you through it.

 

On another note, you have managed to convince Flowey to, with each timeline, stay with the skelebros with you and Frisk. You have done that by bribing him with unlimited access to your gaming library on your computer.

 

To make Frisk feel a little more at home here, you, Sans, and Papyrus have redecorated your room, adding a bed for him and changing the carpet to blue and purple, to match Frisk’s shirt. That was, of course, after you completely shielded the house from the constant Resets.

 

“John, I don’t think that I can take this anymore,” Frisk says, voice broken and shaking, “I just want these Resets to end.”

 

“I know, Frisk. I know,” you say to him. You can barely hold yourself up anymore from the Resets.

 

“Next timeline, I’m gonna try something different,” he says, hardening his expression, “And hopefully, it will be the end of them.”

 

You hope with all of your glitchy Soul that he’s not going to do what you think he’s going to do. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the Reset, to see what Frisk has got in store for the next timeline.

 

You aren’t planning to see him at the start, in this case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we all know what's gonna happen in the next timeline...
> 
> In other news, these timelines aren't being Reset by anyone on purpose; they're just happening. I'll tell you more about that later
> 
> Another thing is the fact that Flowey in this still remembers from the previous timelines, because only a True Reset can erase his memories. Only the Player, otherwise known as John in this, can do that, but he can't perform them because he's not in control of the timeline anymore; his Determination threshold is just in the nice little spot where his base Determination is above Flowey's maximum Determination capacity, but is his own maximum Determination is lower than Frisk's base Determination
> 
> Also, the reason Flowey doesn't recognize that a Reset has been performed yet in the beginning was because he happened to fall asleep in the location where they meet him, so he doesn't notice at first
> 
> Lastly, in case you were wondering: Yes, I did make the entire first half be about boys being boys. I just needed some filler for my self-made minimal required 2000 words


	20. What Matters is the Killing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk begins the unforgivable

When the Reset comes, you just glitch to the door of the Ruins, and hide in the trees. To legitimize you not answering Toriel’s phone call, you shut it off. You also don’t need anyone else to call you, so you just wait in the trees.

 

Evening comes, and then night comes. You fall asleep in the bush that contains Alphys’ camera. You feel lucky that you don’t make much sound when asleep.

 

You wake up to the sound of a grinding door. With little sound, you glitch yourself to behind the bush. Peeking through the branches, you see Frisk. He looks just as you suspected.

 

He is covered head to toe in dust. Monster dust, to be more specific. Once he has left your sight, you enter the Ruins quickly. You walk along the long corridor. Once you get to the large door, you come across a large pile of dust.

 

Toriel sized, to be more specific.

 

You switch your eyes to yellow and green, to bring back the lost information. As you suspected, it appears that Frisk killed her with the toy knife. At least he had the decency to go around her dust.

 

“I’m sorry,” you murmur to it, “I should have been here. To stop him. But in the end, I’m no better than Sans,” you give a chuckle filled with irony.

 

You carefully take a handful of her dust, and go around the house, spreading the dust on her favorite things. The last of the dust is just clinging to you, and it feels extremely gritty. You carefully get off the remaining dust from your hand.

 

Sighing, you glitch yourself to Sans’ station. It appears that Frisk has already came through here, because there are a lot of footprints near where he usually stops in the ‘normal’ timelines. You quickly go ahead to the SAVE point.

 

When you get there, you are witness to Frisk punching Snowdrake to death. A Monster turning to dust doesn’t look at all like in-game. Instead of disappearing neatly and uniformly from top to bottom, it looks more like an explosion of dust, some parts dusting before the impact site dusts.

 

You check him with cyan-yellow-purple eyes before he leaves the area. He has killed 21 Monsters by this time, with Snowdrake being the first casualty of this area. His LOVE is at least 8. He must have picked on Looxes, then killed Toriel as a cherry on top!

 

You glitch away, disgusted at the sight of Frisk dusting, but stay within eyesight, to check his progress.

 

After a while of watching, specifically watching him turn the Dogi to dust, you glitch to Snowdin, and enter Grillby’s, knowing that a lot of regulars trust you there, and Grillby moreso. You walk up to him.

 

“Grillby,” you say in an undertone, and he looks at you attentively, because you only use this tone with him when you’re dead serious, and never in a joking manner, “We’re going to need to start evacuating Snowdin. Now.”

 

“...” Grillby says. Just like Watchman, when you interact with him enough, you can perfectly understand him.

 

“Because, the prophecy is being fulfilled,” you respond.

 

You can see him cock a fiery brow in confusion.

 

“It’s fulfilling in the way no one here wants it to.”

 

His flames crackle in alarm, “...”

 

“Yes I’m sure. I watched him dust the Dogi in a few hits,” you say.

 

“...” Grillby crackles, looking shaken.

 

Your eyes widen in both interest, but mostly in concern, “You’ve never told me that. But I agree, you should be the head of the Snowdin evacuation.”

 

Grillby pats his hand on your shoulder, then leaves. You leave as well.

 

Several hours pass, and you watch from a ridge, Frisk coming into sight. You are just outside of the west entrance to Snowdin, where everyone (but Monster Kid, as usual) has evacuated to Hotland.

 

You glitch into your room, jump onto your bed, and scream into your pillow, letting out all of the tension and despair. You can hardly believe that Frisk was willing to go this far to escape the Resets, but there was hardly anything else to do left.

 

A few minutes later, you hear the front door open.

 

“JOHN, ARE YOU HERE?” Papyrus asks into the emptiness. You don’t respond. Your bedroom door opens.

 

“JOHN?” he asks. You only give incomprehensible mumbles, even to yourself. He opens your door more.

 

“What?” you mumble, unable to feel anything good at the moment.

 

“I’M… I’M GOING TO FACE FRISK,” he says.

 

Silence.

 

You look him straight into the sockets, questions written all over your face.

 

“Why?” is all you can ask.

 

“WELL, MAYBE ALL HE NEEDS IS ENCOURAGEMENT TO GET BACK ONTO THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW! NYEH HEH… HEH,” Papyrus says, even his last sentence sounding as if he was forcing it to sound optimistic, but falling a bit flat. You don’t like how forced it sounded.

 

“You know the most likely outcome,” you say hopelessly. He nods sadly. He’s not dumb, just highly optimistic.

 

“I KNOW THAT IT WILL END UP… BADLY. BUT EVEN IF THAT HAPPENS,” the next words are sincere, “I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW… THAT YOU, FRISK, AND SANS HAVE ALL MADE ME HAPPY EVERY DAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER. WE MIGHT NOT SEE AT THE SAME LEVEL ALL THE TIME, BUT I HAVE ENJOYED MAKING YOU GUYS HAPPY AS WELL!”

 

You feel tears, both yours and Papyrus’. He picks you up and holds you close. You and Papyrus stay like that for a few minutes. He then puts you back down.

 

“VERY WELL, THEN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE A BROTHER TO SAVE! NYEH HEH HEH!” he shouts, then runs out of the house.

 

* * *

  


With no doubt, after a few minutes, you go to the fight area. Neither Frisk nor Papyrus are here, but after a few minutes of looking, you find it.

 

His dust.

 

You pick up the scarf.

 

“hey,” you hear. You turn around and see Sans standing there.

 

“Hey,” you say, “Was going to find you, to give you this,” you hold out the scarf.

 

“nah, i think you should have it. don’t need constant… reminders,” Sans says, voice low.

 

You would’ve thought that he would’ve wanted the scarf, but you shrug, starting to put Papyrus’ scarf into your pocket.

 

“actually,” Sans says, and takes the scarf, and ties it around your neck, “there, he might not be with us…” that sounded as if it physically hurt him, “you can let him… live on through you.”

 

“Wait... just a sec,” you say, crouching down. You take a pinch of dust, then sprinkle it onto the scarf, “There. Now he’ll be with us, in more than one way.”

 

“behold, the grand john,” he says, chuckling weakly.

 

“Attention, it’s the Great Papyrus, Magnificent Sans, Grand John… a-and o-o-once Impressive F-Frisk,” you stammer out, “Sans?”

 

“yeah?” he replies, voice difficult.

 

“You don’t seem that… angry. At Frisk,” you say.

 

Sans takes a shaky breath, “well, as i was watching him from afar throughout snowdin forest, i noticed some… changes. subtle. not well seen. he seemed more like himself in the beginning. but, closer to here, i noticed something. while... paps, was talking, he seemed to be having an internal fight. as if he was starting to regret everything up to there.”

 

“But ultimately, he appeared to lose with himself,” you finish.

 

“mhm,” Sans says.

 

“Sans?” you say, to which he just turns to you, “Do you think we can make him Reset? To make him go back on everything he has done this timeline?”

 

“hmm,” he says, thinking, “it is possible for us to make him do that. but it will take a while.”

 

“Why is that?” you ask, nervous.

 

“we fight him in the judgement hall,” he says.

 

“And possibly die like in the game?” you say, skeptical.

 

“well, take it from this perspective; you were pissed as you kept dying to me, right?”

 

“Yeah?” you say, not seeing where this is heading.

 

“and why were you pissed off at my fight?” he continues.

 

You think, “I was SO close to the end, but you were deceptively the most difficult opponent in the game.”

 

“exactly,” Sans says, starting to walk away.

 

You widen your eyes in realization, “Wait, so you’re telling me… we’re going to frustrate him into a Reset?”

 

“bingo,” he says, “meet me in the judgement hall when you’re finished preparing,” and with that, he shortcuts away.

 

* * *

  


You told Undyne to remember to be holding her fragment as she kills Frisk (in order to help frustrate him into a Reset), you remind Mettaton briefly before Frisk’s arrival to remember to turn off his safety lock if he ends up fighting (you hope it ends up like the Unitale Neo fight), and you manage to convince Flowey into distracting Frisk  in New Home long enough to make final preparations in the Judgement Hall.

 

Before you know it, you are waiting in the Judgement Hall with Sans, and Flowey just told you that Frisk just finished with Mettaton NEO and is on his way to New Home. Good. You had to sit through 257 Loads. Without his safety lock, he seemed to wipe the floor with attacks.

 

“So,” you start, looking at Sans, “I’ve got a question for you.”

 

“do you wanna have a bad time?” he says, dryly chuckling, “but shoot. not with your soul gun, though.”

 

“Why do you have only one attack, defense, and health?” you bluntly ask.

 

Sans sighs, “that’s because it’s part of the job, kiddo.”

 

“How so?” you ask.

 

“you know that my official job is the royal judge, right?” you nod, “well, it’s part of the training. i must trade my raw power, defense, and health. with the trade off, i can deal only one damage, but attack insanely fast. i may have crap health and defense from it, but i can do some things no other Monster can do; like have the will to dodge, along with being able to attack out of turn after a battle gets long enough.”

 

“Pair it up with your natural abilities as a skeleton, such as powerful blue magic, blasters, and glowing eyes, and Asgore’s got himself a nearly unkillable defender,” you say, a finger up to your chin, “Though what will happen if you are no longer the Royal Judge? What’ll happen to your stats?”

 

“they’ll eventually return to normal, to roughly near paps’, and while i might no longer be able to attack quickly or out of turn, i will still be able to dodge,” Sans says, slowly nodding.

 

“That would be good for you while your stats get back to normal,” you agree, hearing footsteps approaching, “Ready?”

 

“yup,” Sans replies.

 

* * *

  


After 617 Loads, Frisk manages to strike down Sans, and doesn’t look any closer to Resetting. Thanks to allowing you to attack Frisk during his turn, Sans was able to attack for ten more turns than in the game. You were comparably still not exhausted, but you feel like you wouldn’t fare longer than Sans in the game.

 

“You killed him,” you say, eyes cold, “And now you’ll be set on killing me.”

 

Chara’s image was reflected onto Frisk, “Oh, and what gave that away, you pathetic _human_?” he says, spitting out the word as if it were the F-bomb, “Now, just stand still, and DIE!” he yells.

 

You dodge the attack, and look at Chara as if it were the most pathetic attack in the world.

 

“Chara, my friend, have you learned anything? I’m a human,” you say, “And if I remember anything, many humans won’t go down...” you turn your sclera black, grab Sans’ jacket, then put it on, “WITHOUT A FIGHT!” and with that, you take over the Fight, “MEGALOVANIA INTENSIFIES, YOU BRAT!”

 

Chara makes the first move, the last of the LOVE gain somehow filling his health up to max.

 

He takes a swipe. You sidestep it easily.

 

“Really?” you say, bored voice.

 

He takes another swipe. You slide past.

 

“Can’t we talk things out like reasonable people?”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“I’m not calling you reasonable. I’m saying that you should try to act reasonable when you’re spoken to.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“What’s the matter with talking? I know I did some pretty bad stuff in my past.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“But like what Papyrus always says,” you raise your arms in a Sans-like shrug, “Anyone can be a good person if they try.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Emphasis on try. And anyone can change for the better.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Plus, killing everyone never solves anyone’s problems; it just makes them worse.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Because if you keep attacking, then I’ll be forced to attack.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“And I’ll use my special attack first. And we all know that it should come last.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“If you attack once more, then you’ll regret seeing my special attack.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Alright, you’ve forced my hand. Prepare for my special attack!”

 

You turn your Soul yellow, and concentrate on it. When you’ve got enough power, you fire. You’re glad you shrunk the bullet board to make it unavoidable.

 

A yellow bullet, as glitchy as your Soul, hits them and the Soul becomes glitched up. You know you won’t last five more turns, as changing another being’s Soul type during battle is extremely draining for you to maintain, but it will be worth it if you kill him beforehand.

 

Your attacks are simple, but meticulous; you shoot a line of bullets (some of them different colors, but never green) across the side of the bullet board, and then they will need to get through a small Soul-sized gap, which is made harder to get through due to the glitching of the Soul. You figured that killing them with such intricately designed attacks would be more frustrating to them than an attack that is undodgeable.

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Just like what Asriel said; your Determination will be your downfall.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Determination can’t make up for everything you lack.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“Such as skills you lack. Or using crappily-designed equipment. In my case, keyboard.”

 

They have one health left.

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“JUST RESET ALREADY!!!” you scream, chest heaving with heavy breaths from exhaustion.

 

Swipe.

 

**_HIT!_ **

 

You feel so lucky that they only hit your Soul. You fall unconscious for a few minutes, then wake up, feeling drained in the body but not Soul. You walk into the throne room.

 

Chara is in front of Frisk, both are looking at you confusedly. They probably can’t destroy the world without the last fightable person being alive.

 

“KILL HIM!” Chara screams, and Frisk obeys robotically.

 

You can’t even muster the strength to get out of the way of the red slash that flies towards you.

 

* * *

  


It has been two timelines since the first genocide. You have the dumbest idea to stop what now has been two more genocide runs.

 

“Um, wh-why do you need s-six flowers? With D-determination, in fact? How would th-that help stop the A-Angel?” Alphys asks you. It is shortly before Frisk/Chara should arrive at the Judgement Hall.

 

“Because, if what I think is right, then they will be able to help me fight him,” you say, hands behind your back. You have already told Sans and Papyrus of your plan earlier this timeline, so Sans just knows to hold them off long enough for you to get this part of the plan. If this timeline is anything like the previous, then Frisk/Chara would get through his attacks flawlessly.

 

“O-okay,” she says, slightly unconvinced, “B-but if th-this works, then you owe me a-a month’s s-supply of a-anime!” and with that, she runs off.

 

A few minutes later, she comes back with six Golden Flowers that were injected with Determination from her experiments.

 

“Also, you should keep an eye on the throne room. If it works, then it should be an interesting fight,” you say, then glitch to the Barrier room with the flowers in your inventory.

 

You haven’t told Asgore this, but earlier in this timeline, after telling the brothers about your plan, you tinkered with the logic gate coding, and changed it to allow your weight and magical signature. You stand on it.

 

Immediately, you pull out your Soul, and the canisters rise from the ground immediately. You can hear the excited whispery chatter of the Souls, and you quickly open the canisters. As the Souls rise out of their containers, you quickly swipe them into your inventory.

 

You glitch into the throne room, and hide behind the throne.

 

About an hour later, you hear someone walk into the room. You hear Asgore and Flowey talk, then hear the familiar sound of multiple slashes. Someone’s shadow appears next to the throne, but not near enough to hear your breathing.

 

“Greetings. I am Chara. You know the deal; you kill everyone you can Fight, and I will erase the world,” he pauses, “But as of now, I am unable to do it. There is one last person who needs to die. That human. Find him, and kill him, and the deal shall be met. Farewell,” he fades out.

 

Footsteps get quieter, until they are near the door, then you glitch in front of the throne.

 

“Or maybe he’ll find you and kill you first,” you call out, and Frisk/Chara stops and turns.

 

“What makes you think you can stop me now when you couldn’t stop me in the previous two timelines?” they ask.

 

“Because of this!” you shout out, and immediately take out the flowers and Souls.

 

“What makes you think that a bunch of Soul-powered Flowey clones could defeat me?” they say.

 

“Because six are better than one!” you say, and gesture the Souls to the flowers.

 

The Souls float over to the flowers, one for each flower, but they shake in a way that looks as if they’re about to shatter, but you know them better than that.

 

They’re refusing to enter.

 

Frisk/Chara laughs “So THAT’S what happened to your grand plan? Ooh, how does it feel to be rejected by the Souls you called as your so called FRIENDS?”

 

You get onto your knees, hopeless. The Souls won’t enter the flowers. Not even two years of befriending them could make them do it.

 

The Souls appear to be chatting with each other, in whispers so indistinct that not even you can tell what they’re saying. They are pretty much whispering among themselves.

 

After a minute of this, they stop, and one of them makes what appears to be a nod. The Souls float higher. Then, they start floating towards Frisk/Chara.

 

“Ha… ha… yes! They appear to recognize that they will be shattered if they side with you! They are going to join the winning side. Just like all humans do eventually!” Frisk/Chara laughs out.

 

You can’t muster anything to feel about that; your half-baked last-ditch plan had failed. You feel ready to just give up.

 

The Souls continue floating towards them, then get to about the same distance in front of them as their own Soul would appear. They bring out their own Soul. The Souls are three feet away from the red Soul and equidistant from each other.

 

The Souls start spinning around Frisk/Chara’s Soul, at first slowly.

 

They spin faster and faster, to about the same speed as when they attack Omega Flowey.

 

Now, the six Souls are a blur of color.

 

Then, they start getting closer to Frisk/Chara’s Soul.

 

“Yes! YES! Lend my own Soul some of your power! Obey me! And you will exist longer!” Frisk/Chara says.

 

The Souls touch the red Soul.

 

“OUCH!” they say, and their Soul jolts in pain, retreating back into their chest, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

 

The Souls are in as tight of a circle as they could get without touching each other.

 

Huh, you numbly think. What are they doing, if they rejected the red Soul?

 

The six Souls shoot towards you.

 

“WHAT?! NO!” Frisk/Chara seems to realize a second before yourself.

 

They’re going into you.

 

When the Souls enter your chest at high speed, you feel as if someone slammed a large hammer on your chest at maximum strength.

 

The world spins. You’re short of breath. The last thing you see is the world turning into a rainbow of colors, then everything fades…

 

To white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you who were wondering: What Grillby said to John that made him concerned was that he was afraid that Frisk might take his Soul
> 
> Yes, in this timeline, Grillby is a Boss Monster. I wanted to do the whole "Grillby is a lot much stronger than he is shown to be" schtick, so I decided "What's more unexpected than Grillby being a Boss Monster?"
> 
> As for what happened in the last part, I will explain more of that in the next chapter
> 
> In the meantime, see you later!


	21. What Matters is Saving Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Frisk/Chara fight

“-ey! Hey, guys! I think he’s waking up!” a voice near you shouts out.

 

“Finally! I thought he was never going to wake up!” another voice says, footsteps start approaching.

 

“Ugh,” you groan, but you notice something off with your voice.

 

There is a slight echo to it.

 

Shrugging, you open your eyes. Or, what should be your eyes. What you see it a little unsettling.

 

Six children are kneeling beside you, as if checking to see if you are okay. You can clearly see their Souls in their chests. It appears that their bodies are merely projections from their Souls.

 

“We’ve been waiting here for like an hour!” the orange child says.

 

“Well actually, we’ve technically been here for only a second, but it only felt like an hour,” the purple child says.

 

“Whatever.”

 

“Yeah, well whose idea was it to LAUNCH YOURSELVES AT MY FREAKING SOUL?” you question, slightly irritated.

 

“Actually, we were planning to shatter their Soul using our Souls, but it hurt. Like a LOT,” the blue child says, “By the way, can you project a body? You’re… kinda naked.”

 

You look down. Huh, you ARE technically naked. You’re just a Soul right now. You concentrate, and your body flickers around you, like a light that hasn’t been used in a long time. Your Soul is still visible, like the others’. Now that you look around, you notice something off.

 

You aren’t in the throne room. Rather, you are in a blinding white expanse of nothingness. Or is it black? You literally can’t tell. There literally is no way to describe this place. There is no heat or lack of it. It is hard to tell where is up and where is down. You can’t even _feel_ where the ground is. You’re at least glad that time still exists, albeit slower.

 

“Where are we?” you ask stupidly.

 

“We’re outside of where yer Soul should reside, but still in yer body, dummy,” the yellow child says.

 

“How? Humans can’t absorb other humans’ Souls,” you say, thinking back to Entry Number 7 in the True Lab.

 

“Well it appears that it only applies to Souls, not the body itself. The body doesn’t get any upgrade like a Monster’s body does, though,” the cyan child calmly states.

 

“Eh, kind of makes sense, considering that a Monster’s body also tends to be their Soul as well,” you say, doing a half-shrug.

 

“Guys,” the green child says, “Give him some space. He must be very exhausted right now.”

 

“No, I’m good. But thanks for that,” you say, standing up, “Now, what do we do now? I’ve got a genocidal maniac of a brother to fight.”

 

The other children look around, uncomfortable.

 

“We’d love to help, but…” the green child says.

 

“Those flowers felt… unnatural… to be near,” the blue child states.

 

“Despite what Monsters think, human Souls can’t last forever outside of anything but a sapient body,” the purple child says.

 

“Even the short time I spent outside the canisters I felt like I was going to shatter!” the orange child shouts.

 

“We were only drawn to you due to yer unique sense of Determination,” the yellow child says.

 

“We’re also very sorry that we ejected you from the driver’s seat,” the cyan child mutters.

 

“Driver’s seat?” you question, cocking an incorporeal brow, “Driver’s seat… Driver’s seat!” you shout.

 

“Have you lost yer marbles?” the yellow child asks, perplexed.

 

“Maybe. But, even though this idea is about as half-baked as my plan to do with you guys, but there’s a chance that it could work out!” you say, excited.

 

“What is it? And how would you know if it can work?” the orange child asks skeptically.

 

“I might have said a couple of timelines ago that Determination can’t make up for things you lack, but if it’s possible to do, then Determination can do it!” you continue.

 

“Where are you going with this?” the purple child asks.

 

“I can allow you guys, one at a time, to pilot my body in my place!”

 

“That would be unlikely to work, not to mention awkward,” the blue child states.

 

“Would you rather become a little awkward and help me stop them, or just sit down here and not do anything?” you ask, sticking out your tongue.

 

“Ugh, you’re such an annoyance sometimes!” they say, but still getting up.

 

“That’s me; the friend who’s funny whenever I’m not annoying you,” you say, bowing. They groan.

 

“Welp, guess that includes everyone,” the yellow child says.

 

“Excellent! Now would any of you know where the driver’s seat would be?” you ask.

 

The cyan child points upward, and your eyes follow where their finger leads to. Some ways up, there appears to be a Soul-shaped indent what would appear to be the ceiling.

 

“How do we get all the way up there?” you question.

 

“I don’t know; picture an elevator or something?” the purple child says.

 

You do that, and an elevator pops out of nowhere. A thought appears in your head.

 

“Wait... if my Soul should be up there, then that would mean we’re over…?”

 

“Yes? We’d be above your-” the orange child begins, but the cyan and blue children run screaming into the elevator, in which now you could tell that they were girls. The yellow child also appears to be one, but isn’t even fazed by the talk.

 

“Yeah, we get it; we’d be over _those_ parts right now. Let’s just get going,” she says.

 

The rest of you enter the elevator, and the cyan and blue girls are frantically spamming the ‘Soul Seat’ button.

 

“Ugh, I’ll never understand other girls,” the yellow girl says.

 

The elevator door closes, and the elevator goes up.

 

The ride takes about four minutes before the doors open back up. You feel that it was kind of ironic how Your Best Nightmare was the elevator music.

 

“Wait,” you say. The indent is much bigger than you thought, so that must mean that your perception of Souls is that they’re smaller in the body than when they aren’t in control.

 

You grab your Soul at a top piece, then start tugging. The other children are visibly cringing at it, but you pay them no mind. Once you’ve got the piece free, you toss it at the top of the indent, in which it snaps into place. You immediately feel a bit of sensation, and time feels to speed up.

 

“I’ll go out first, so that they’ll be warned. And as a sort of preparation for you guys,” you say, and they nod.

 

You walk into the indent, and immediately feel yourself grow into feeling.

 

You feel Determined.

 

* * *

  


The first thing you notice as you feel the world around you is that your chest area feels very cramped, but not in the physical sense; rather it feels in the way you’ve come to associate with your Soul. It feels like only a few seconds have passed since you’ve been knocked unconscious.

 

“What the hell were the Souls THINKING when they launched at him like that?!” you hear Frisk/Chara yell, “Don’t they know that humans can’t absorb other human Souls?”

 

 **Can you hear us?** a voice says to you, as if from a radio.

 

 _Yes_ , you send back, with your Soul.

 

 **Well, it appears that yer Soul isn’t locked in all the way, so it could come loose. Be careful,** they reply.

 

_I know, it’s so that you guys can take control at a moment’s notice. That fragment I threw in first also contains most of my magic, so you can take some from the fragment._

 

**We all agreed who will go when, and it appears that there are some tubes connecting the fragment to your Soul; it appears to be draining magic into your it.**

 

“Well, I hope that their Soul finally broke, instead of that weird thing it does when he takes a fatal hit to it,” Frisk/Chara says.

 

Meh, calling them that is getting too tiring for you. You decide to call the combination, for now, Frishara.

 

 _It’s showtime,_ you say to the Souls, and are greeted with a bunch of whoops and the such. You open your eyes.

 

Your vision is tinted a type of red, and everything that isn’t red is just a lighter or darker shade of red. You realize what shade of red everything is.

 

Determination Red.

 

You slowly get up. It feels as if you’re badly puppeteering your own body, but you manage to stand.

 

“No, they didn’t,” you say. There is an echo of six others in your voice, and it’s kind of slurring due to lack of proper control, “They’re right here,” you continue, clumsily patting a hand to your chest.

 

“How?! We both know that humans can’t absorb other human Souls!” Frishara screams.

 

“Now, why would I tell you my secrets now? As Sans would’ve said… ‘Let’s just get to the point’,” you say, and force a Fight with them.

 

Instead of fading to black and white, it just fades to different shades of red. You do not recognize the Theme, though you can still hear faint traces of Megalovania. Instead, it sounds like it also would be a song you would hear at a hopeful battle at the end of the world. You decide to name the song ‘World’s Edge’.

 

You close your eyes, “It’s a beautiful day outside. The light is shining, the Barrier is shimmering. On days like these, people like you…” you open your eyes, glowing with Determination, “Should be getting taught a lesson!” and with that, you turn your Soul yellow and slightly purple, and shoot your bullet patterns, not bothering with your special attack.

 

Frishara manages to dodge all but one line, in which they take 25 damage.

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

You navigate to the Mercy option. There was something different about it.

 

Instead of a ‘flee’ option, the option was ‘Color’, and currently it is orange. You select it.

 

Immediately, you feel shunted from control, though you can still see through your eyes, which have had its vision turn orange.

 

Bravery Orange.

 

 _I guess I get shotgun by default_ , you think, and feel all of your Soul but the fragment gently leave the indent, and let the orange boy take control.

 

 **Now what?** he asks.

 

 _Just use Fight, but please make sure they stay alive, I want to talk to them in the end,_ you say. The music has changed, to something depicting strength and courage.

 

He selects Fight, but before his attack starts, he starts talking.

 

“You are the type of person who will rush into fights without thinking,” he says.

 

You check your stats before the attack starts.

 

**The Vestiges**

 

**7 ATK 70 DEF**

 

***They are only remnants of themselves, but together they are One.**

 

You feel impressed at your defense, and feel better about your attack. The multiple Souls in you must have changed your stats somehow.

 

A large bandanna flies into the bullet board, and leaves only two small triangles to retreat into. Frishara barely makes it into the top left corner.

 

Swipe. Deflected.

 

“But have you shown bravery, or is it out of cowardice?”

 

A bunch of Tough Gloves rain from the top of the bullet board in a way like the Vegetoid attack. Unlike Vegetoids, the Gloves were more concentrated, and aimed for where their Soul should go.

 

Swipe. Deflected.

 

 **Okay, I’m beat. That takes a lot of energy to maintain** , the orange boy says, and goes to Mercy. He selects Color.

 

Your vision immediately turns yellow.

 

Justice Yellow.

 

The music turns slightly Wild West-like, but keeps to the same feeling.

 

 **Okay, so I just use Fight twice, then Mercy >Color?** she asks.

 

 _Yes, and keep them alive. Tell the others when you get out of the seat_.

 

She makes you nod, then uses Fight.

 

“At times, you showed others Mercy when they weren’t worth your time.”

 

A large cowboy hat appears, and hops across the bottom, like the Dogi axe attack. Unlike it, it is about as fast as if you kill Dogamy.

 

Swipe. Shot.

 

“But did you give them any justice, or did you not think of any of them as innocent?”

 

Four revolvers appear at each corner, and each shoot six bullets at them. One bullet grazes their Soul. It does a lot of damage instantly, but without purple, it won’t be a poison.

 

Swipe. Shot.

 

Mercy>Color.

 

Your vision turns green.

 

Kindness Green.

 

The music turns soothing, like a lullaby.

 

**Okay, I’ve heard from the other two that I will only have enough energy for two attacks. And don’t worry; I won’t try to kill them.**

 

You sigh in relief. You can always trust him to stay kind, even to merciless enemies.

 

He uses Fight.

 

“Whenever you felt like it, you just allowed others to live their lives.”

 

An apron wrapped around their Soul, and started banging them around the box, taking one health with each hit.

 

Swipe. Blocked.

 

“But did you ever show them kindness, even when you started playing around with them like toys?”

 

The bullet board starts shaking around like a pan, fireballs coming from the bottom. Aside from one or two hits, Frishara is relatively unharmed.

 

Swipe. Blocked.

 

Mercy>Color.

 

Your vision turns cyan.

 

Patient Cyan.

 

The music turns somewhat calming.

 

 **I heard what you told the others. Two Fights then change?** You do a vague imitation of a nod, **Okay.**

 

“You waited until the time was right to strike.”

 

Thick ribbons floated down, but didn’t leave the bullet box. Instead, they piled up, ending the turn with only a Soul-sized gap at the top of the box.

 

Swipe. Sidestep.

 

“But did you show any patience in trying to slaughter everyone?”

 

Toy knives rain down, some of them spinning, and explode into smaller knives, like Stars and Galacta Blazing.

 

Swipe. Sidestep.

 

Mercy>Color.

 

Your vision turns blue.

 

Integrity Blue.

 

The music turns slightly classical.

 

 **To get this straight, you want me to hurt them but not kill them?** you do your best nod, **Well, I can at least respect your honesty.**

 

“You always try to stay by what your values are.”

 

Several sideways tutus roll across the top and bottom, with two horizontal tutus in the middle.

 

Swipe. Dodge.

 

“But can you really claim to have integrity when you do so much backstabbing for your own gain?”

 

Ballet shoes stomp down twice, up twice, left twice, then right twice.

 

Swipe. Dodge.

 

Mercy>Color.

 

Your vision turns purple.

 

Perseverant Purple.

 

The music just keeps on a short few notes but still in rhythm.

 

**I know the drill.**

 

“Whenever you were attacked, you endured until your opponent was dispatched.”

 

Two pairs of glasses appear on the top and left side of the box. The lenses shoot a laser from them not unlike a blaster, with there being no order for them to shoot. The glasses shoot eight times before the attack ends.

 

Swipe. Slide.

 

“But did you ever show perseverance whenever things got too hard?”

 

Pages from a notebook fly out of the sides. When the paper touches a side, it begins to bounce off, until there are four pages bouncing around.

 

Swipe. Slide.

 

Mercy>Color.

 

Your vision returns to Determination Red.

 

The music stays in its hopeful end-of-the-world tune, but with Megalovania more noticeable.

 

You aren’t going to attack anymore.

 

“The only thing you’ve shown thus far is Determination.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“The Determination to end us.”

 

Swipe. Miss.

 

“But I won’t allow that to happen.”

 

Swipe.

 

**_HIT!_ **

 

…

 

**But it refused!**

 

“You are filled with Determination to kill me; I am filled with Determination to refuse.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“That’s quite the conundrum; the unstoppable object against the unmovable object.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

 **“** In such a system, in order for it to work out, when they meet, one of them has to break.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“And I refuse to be the one to break.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“I also discovered something else about Determination.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“That it is partially sapient, and can detect what it is being used for.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“Why do you think you never refused to die during the first genocide timeline’s Sans fight?”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“You were filled with the Determination to kill everyone and refuse death, but your Determination didn’t like it. Thus, it didn’t allow you to come back.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“You must direct your entire Soul, or most of it, into something that Determination will allow the refusal of death.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“And the past two timelines? Well,” you give a Sans shrug, “apparently, saving the world from someone of the likes of you is good, but not good enough.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“At this point, only a small amount of my Determination is geared with the purpose of saving the world.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“You want to know what most of my Determination is geared to right now?”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“The truth is…”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“Most of my Determination…”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“Is geared to…”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

“Saving you. And Determination will allow me refusal for such a purpose.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You turn your eyes back to their natural color, which slightly tones down the amount of red in your vision.

 

“Because even after all of this time,” you take a step forward, “I still see you as a brother,” you can feel the confusion of the Souls.

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step forward, “And no amount of genocide timelines and world erasures will ever change my mind.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step, “Fight the LOVE. Fight the Determination to kill everything. Fight the negativity of Chara.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step, “And if you can do it, Sans may be able to forgive you next timeline.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step. You’re halfway to him, “I will help you in any way I can.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step, “I will forgive everything bad that you have done during these timelines.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step, “I will make sure that we have the best lives that we can have.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step, “Just please, be Determined for something else. Murder was never the answer to the end of Resets.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take another step, one step away from Frishara, “Tell me anything bad that you think I would think is absurd. I will stick with you no matter what.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You take the last step, “I promise you that.”

 

Swipe. **_HIT!_ ** … **But it refused!**

 

You embrace them in a hug, “So stop delaying the inevitable, and just accept my Determination to Save you.”

 

They stab you in the back.

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

“Keep doing that; you are only wasting your time. I am too Determined. No amount of time will make you able to stop my Determination from trying to Save you.”

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

 

“I will try Saving you even if it takes until the heat death of the universe to accomplish it.”

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

 

“Not even a Load will make me stop.”

 

Their hand starts to tremble before it enters your back.

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

 

“I care about you too much to allow you to continue like this.”

 

You feel tears pooling on your shoulder.

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

 

“I will love you as my brother until the end of time.”

 

The ‘malevolent Chara’ features soften into a more Frisk-like shape.

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

 

“So just please, stop trying to kill me.”

 

The leftover features smooth into Frisk’s own.

 

Stab. **_HIT! …_ ** **But YOU refused!**

 

“AND COME!” you feel tears coming from your eyes.

 

His own tears run freely down his face.

 

The knife barely breaks into your dermis.

 

“BACK!”

 

The malevolent red glow of LOVE in his eyes dims.

 

The knife barely gets your first layer of skin.

 

“TO!”

 

Tears are streaming from your eyes.

 

The knife slides off of your back, not even scratching through your shirt.

 

“ **_ME!_ ** ” you finally scream. If you thought you couldn’t squeeze more tears through your ducts, then you were wrong, as even more tears fell.

 

He doesn’t even lift the knife to attack as the last of the malevolent red glow retreats from his eyes at last.

 

“I’m sorry!” he sobs, returning the hug, sobbing. The knife clatters to the ground. The Fight ends, music fading away.

 

* * *

  


You and Frisk stand there sobbing against each other for a good few minutes. The Souls are quiet, recognizing the personal things going on.

 

Once the sobbing subsides, you ask him an important question.

 

“How have you finally taken control again? I thought Chara could take control whenever he wanted?”

 

He appears to concentrate for a few seconds, then shakes his head, “He appears to have become too dazed to take back control any timeline soon.”

 

“Good,” you quietly say, “I think Alphys will be wanting a formal confirmation soon.”

 

As soon as you finish the sentence, you receive a text from her.

 

ALPHYS: omg that was so cool

ALPHYS: and scary

ALPHYS: can i have you both come to the lab asap?

ALPHYS: need to do some testing on you both to see if you’re in the clear

SAVEscummer: on our way

 

You put away your phone, and put your hand on Frisk’s shoulder.

 

“Alphys wants us both to go back to the lab for some testing,” you tell him. He just nods with shame.

 

Thanks to the immense Determination you had during the battle, you glitch to the lab without even breaking a sweat. Alphys meets up with you immediately, purposefully avoiding Frisk’s eyes, and he avoids her eyes as well.

 

“I-I need you t-to come w-with me,” she stutters, and you follow her into the True Lab.

 

You hear a lot of nervous chattering beyond the doors, and when you walk through them, the chattering abruptly stops. Every monster that evacuated to here is staring at you.

 

“What? I’ve come to tell you that the human has been defeated, and has been taken here for some last minute studying.”

 

More silence.

 

“What? He’s even with me right now.”

 

Still silent.

 

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

 

The silence is deafening.

 

“I don’t know what else to say.”

 

Finally, you hear footsteps come closer, accompanied by crackling.

 

Grillby comes into view, and kneels in front of you.

 

“...” he asks.

 

“Huh?” you say, and immediately look down at your chest.

 

The six other Souls are clearly visible through you, as if you weren’t even there. They appear to be in a hexagon that was circling around where your own Soul would be residing, which is currently not visible.

 

“Oh, I had help. From them,” you say, gesturing to your chest.

 

“...” he asks.

 

“I know, it shouldn’t have happened, but it did.”

 

“E-everyone, get back! Th-there’s some testing we n-need to do!” Alphys says, and leads Frisk through.

 

The room begins to descend into pandemonium, everyone wanting to get their hands onto Frisk. Both he and Alphys appear to shrink into themselves.

 

Before the Monsters could get too close, walls of darkness entrap them, and a path to your designated room is made. The Memoryheads appear.

 

“Thanks, guys!” you say to them, as you walk to the testing room.

 

Once you, Frisk, and Alphys enter the room, she uses every lock on the door to close it. You look around. Wait… this is the room that you tested with your Soul in a few years ago!

 

“Alright, I think Frisk should go first,” you say.

 

“R-right, all I n-need to do is ch-check his Soul,” Alphys says, wanting to get it done with as fast as possible. You don’t blame her. He _did_ technically kill her future girlfriend.

 

After a few minutes of testing, the results are printed onto the screen, and she gives a squeak of fear.

 

“I-it appears that e-even though th-the Soul is connected t-to the body, _it’s as i-if it’s not even h-his_.”

 

You give a bored sigh, “Yes, I already knew that.”

 

She gives a bigger squeak, “H-how did you a-already know?”

 

You sigh, and turn to Frisk, “Do you want to tell her what happened a couple of timelines ago?” he unsurprising shook his head, so you give him headphones with some music, to which he takes.

 

“A-alright, how did you know? All I h-heard from that w-was that it happened two timelines a-ago.”

 

“Well, he became desperate to end the Resetting, so he started killing everyone. Sans and I attempted to frustrate him into a Reset, but by that time it was as if he wasn’t himself. He killed Sans, then fought me. I ran out of stamina from using my special attack, but he hit my Soul. I woke up and walked into the throne room, and was killed bodily,” you bluntly say.

 

“B-but how do y-you know what happened a-after your d-death?”

 

“Things like that happened in the game, so I would naturally remember about it.”

 

“O-okay then, what d-do you know of what happens after y-your death?”

 

“Prince Chara comes out, offers two choices, and regardless of choice, the universe is destroyed,” you say, ending in a voice that made it sound as if it were no big deal.

 

Alphys looks completely startled as she asks “Th-then how are we here?”

 

“Oh. Yeah. That. Frisk had to trade his Soul for the return of the universe.”

 

“W-well that explains it. B-but let’s m-move on from that, sh-shall we?” she says, definitely desperate to change the matter at hand.

 

“Yes we shall. To a much better conundrum at hand,” you point to yourself, the Souls showing through you.

 

“Y-yes. I watched your f-fight, from when you a-appeared from behind the throne to the very e-end. I-it appeared that you were a-attempting to g-get the Souls to go into th-the flowers? A-and they refused?”

 

“Yes. They told me that the flowers felt unnatural, but not until I woke up in my own body as my own Soul.”

 

“W-wait, you woke up a-as your Soul? In y-your own body?” she asks, dumbfounded.

 

You nod, “Apparently the force from them launching into my body knocked my Soul out of, what the cyan Soul called it, the ‘driver’s seat’.”

 

Alphys’ eyes widened, “D-do you know how l-lucky you are? If you were a M-monster, you would’ve been d-dust immediately, and I b-believe that if your Soul wasn’t s-so unique, then even a normal h-human Soul could’ve h-had irreversible damage!” she pauses to think, then her eyes widened even more, “And you s-said that one o-of the Souls talked to y-you?”

 

You nod again, “Yeah, in fact,” you concentrate, _Guys, want to say anything?_

 

There is a chorus of no’s, but the purple Soul feels like he’s doing an imitation of raising a hand, **Can you let me talk? I want to tell her something.**

 

 _Go ahead,_ you say, then get out of the way. Your body slackens as the purple boy gets into position, then your vision turns purple.

 

Alphys visibly pales, “H-hello? I-I’m guessing you’re the perseverance Soul?”

 

“ **Yes. I am the purple Soul. And I’ve got something to let you know.** ”

 

“And wh-what would that be?” she asks, nervous.

 

“ **I was the only Soul that was still conscious at the time you extracted our Determination.** ” he says.

 

“I’m s-s-sorry!” she squeaks and covers her head with her arms as if expecting a hit from him, but he only holds up your hand in peace.

 

“ **I do not hate you for doing that; it was painless, considering we lacked the proper methods of sensing as we humans have. In fact, I’d say that you saved lives, so I’d say we forgive you,** ” he says, then leaves control. You immediately resume control.

 

“Th-thank you,” Alphys says, slowly uncovering her hands, “How did you do that?”

 

“I don’t know, to be honest. All I did was take a Soul fragment and tossed it into the Soul-shaped indent in the void that was my body. It was originally meant to make them able to access my magic, but apparently my Soul was loose in its place. It also makes my vision turn to the tint of the Soul color, though.”

 

She looks at you, amazed, “We need to perform tests. Now!” and she immediately runs to the console. Scientist Mode activated, apparently.

 

A few tests later, and the results are finalized.

 

“John! It appears th-that due to your unique e-existence in this universe, you can f-function as a human Soul vessel! You still c-can’t absorb them like a Monster could, but you c-can absorb and house them in y-your body! … given if they do th-that at a high speed, apparently,” she says. You know that those are her ‘excited stutters’.

 

“Well, it does kind of feel a little cramped in that area, but I can deal with it. I also think that you should make sure that video is stored on a time-protected device, so that we could show the entire gang once the Resets are over. Sans might like it because I won, Papyrus will like it because it ended happily, Mettaton would like it because of how well it was, and you and Undyne will like it because it was pretty much real life anime.”

 

“Y-yeah. That,” Alphys says, looking down at the floor.

 

You decide to do a teasing torment to Frisk to cheer up Alphys, and send her the two pictures of you and Frisk.

 

She looks confused that it was you who sent it, but her eyes open widely in awe.

 

“Oh my god, You two look soo adorable! I must save this as well!” and with that, she runs off.

 

Frisk takes, unknowingly to you taken off the headphones, your phone and tosses it at the wall as hard as he could.

 

The phone comically bounces off the wall, and you catch it easily.

 

“Seriously, dude,” you say, “You can’t destroy a Nokia.”

 

* * *

  


Once Alphys has come back (she saved your fight as well), you get onto an equally important matter.

 

“Frisk,” you start, looking at him, “Just wondering, but has there been anything you noticed about the Resets yet?”

 

He slowly nods, then lifts his hand. The Load and Reset menu appears, but is different than how it should look.

 

The Reset option appears as if it were glitching out, not to mention it had excessive amounts of Zalgo.

 

“How long has it been like this?” you ask.

 

“Ever since after we experimented some endings with Flowey. I didn’t tell you about it because… I thought you would... hate me for unknowingly Resetting,” he looks down.

 

You walk over to him and take him in a hug, “You heard me during the fight that there’s nothing that you can do to make me hate you. Though I’ve got to ask… has it always looked like that?”

 

He shakes his head, “It only happens late in the timeline, usually once we get to the Surface, or in this case…”

 

“Kill Sans,” you finish.

 

“Y-yeah,” Frisk sniffles.

 

An idea pops into your head, “Frisk, I’ve got an idea even dumber than my plan to fight you.”

 

Frisk gives a weak chuckle, “And how could anything top that half-baked Flowey-clone idea?”

 

“By my current idea,” you say, giggling.

 

“What do you mean?” he asks.

 

You release the hug, “Follow me, my brother, and you shall see.”

 

With that, you take his and Alphys’ shoulders, and glitch to your destination.

 

Little did they know that this would be the dumbest idea you have ever had in all of the timelines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was the most interesting chapter for me to write thus far, and it also happens to be my longest
> 
> So yeah, the Souls only say what they think of Frishara because they don't completely remember through Resets, so they would only completely know this timeline. I also kind of took some inspiration from the old version of Determination: Encore for the fight
> 
> As for other things, I'd imagine the music to be a unique blend of a small bit of Megalovania, Battle against a True Hero, and Your Best Nightmare, along with the metal version of Hopes and Dreams used in Determination: Encore, which is by SixteenInMono on Youtube, just so you know
> 
> Also, the reason why 'Swipe. HIT! ... But it refused!' changes to 'Stab. HIT! ... But YOU refused!' is because John has enough Determination at that point to REFUSE DYING FROM A FREAKING FATAL BACKSTABBING WOUND THAT WOULD DESTROY HIS HEART, and for the rest of the timeline will be able to use that Determination to immediately heal any fatal physical wound. I also made sure to make the first round of the stabbing that much to show how much Frishara is trying to kill him, but how Determined John is to not die
> 
> In other news, yeah. John can be used as a human Soul vessel, but due to the nature of human Souls, each one would use its own power, but it could apparently use magic from John's Soul fragment, because I said so :p, but other than that, he himself wouldn't become godlike anytime soon due to hosting the other Souls
> 
> Lastly, you'll find out what John's dumbest-ever plan is next chapter, because I said so as well :p
> 
> See you guys in the next chapter!


	22. What Matters is Falling into the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do the dumbest thing you'll ever do in any timeline

Your first destination is the Barrier room. You walk up to the Soul canisters.

 

_ Sorry, guys, but I must leave you here. I… I don’t want anything to happen to you. _

 

There is a chorus of groans, but they comply.

 

The Souls begin to spin faster in your chest, and you’re glad that they aren’t physically there. Once they are at their maximum speed, they begin to get closer, and once they are almost touching, they launch out of your chest. Compared to how painful it was for them to enter, it was almost painless now, only leaving a brief shortness of breath. You’re glad that you have all that Determination. The Souls enter the containers quickly, and Alphys quickly secures them.

 

“Now wh-what?” she asks, and you grab her and Frisk’s shoulders, glitching to the Resort. You walk into the CORE.

 

“What are you thinking?” Frisk asks, nervous.

 

You pay him no mind, and look around the CORE. Just like every other place in the Underground, there is a lot more to it than is shown in the game. You pass by several doors, offices no doubt, and find an elevator that is not usually there. You enter it, and press the only button.

 

“I h-haven’t seen this elevator i-in years! I thought that it w-was dismantled after G-Gaster disappeared,” Alphys says.

 

“Not dismantled. Only out of the way,” you reply, and the elevator dings, opening up to a laboratory that isn’t usually here.

 

Gaster’s magic must still have a strong presence here, considering that his Theme is playing, and rather strongly as well. You switch your eyes to yellow-green-purple.

 

You kneel beside what appears to be a slipping motion of normal dust, no doubt where Gaster has fallen in.

 

“It appears that he slipped due to something, and fell at exactly midnight,” you mutter, “Hey Alphys!”

 

“What?” she replies, poking around his notes.

 

“What color combination do you think will allow me to actually  _ see _ how he fell? I’ve already got yellow-green-purple, but all I’m getting is the indirect information,” you shout.

 

“Try a-adding orange or r-red!” she yells back.

 

You first attempt using orange.

 

“Entry Number 17,” you see in wingdings. You slightly shook your head.

 

“All I got were subtitles, but that’s on the right track!” you say, then add in red.

 

Immediately, you see a recreation of the scene. You still feel relatively fine, even with five colors active. If it weren’t for the surge of Determination earlier, you would’ve been having a major headache by now.

 

“Dark. Darker. Yet Darker.”

 

Okay, screw it. You have all of this Determination, so why not use it? You add in cyan and blue, which makes everything clearer and you can hear everything respectively.

 

It appears that he’s at a computer screen that is stationed over the gap, and he’s typing into it. Gaster looks almost like a normal skeleton, rather than who you saw on occasion. It also appears that he was only leaving a message to the next person who will enter, as if he were leaving for the day.

 

“The darkness keeps growing.”

 

The screen wobbles a little bit.

 

“The shadows cutting deeper.”

 

The screen wobbles more.

 

“Photon readings negative.”

 

Gaster looks down at the darkness below, as if to reconfirm the previous statement.

 

“This next experiment. Seems. Very. Very. Interesting.”

 

The wobbling becomes violent, but he’s too focused.

 

“... What do you two think?”

 

He closes the file, and opens up another, revealing a poorly drawn picture. There were three skeletons in it, and you can immediately tell that they should be Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster. At the bottom, there are two words.

 

DON’T FORGET, written in the Papyrus font.

 

You could make a guess and say that Papyrus made that for him to remember his brothers while he’s at work. Gaster smiles, then switches off the screen and turns around, taking a step.

 

The wobbling abruptly stops, and the computer falls into the darkness. He immediately notices and turns around, sockets widening in surprise.

 

He does not notice the piece of equipment that snags the bottom of his lab coat until it is too late.

 

“Wha-” he says in surprise, but the force and speed of that one computer bringing all the other equipment wired to it in the lab yanks him off of his feet, and causes him to hit his head.

 

Hard enough to crack his skull in the well-known spots.

 

Surprisingly, he’s still conscious, and grabs the bolted-down desk, but either his coat was made to be immune to ripping or his grip wasn’t strong enough, as he is torn from the desk.

 

“Nooo! Sans… Papyrus…!” he yells as he falls into the darkness.

 

The vision ends there.

 

* * *

  
  


You look at the location where the computer once sat, your mouth slightly ajar, and an expression that clearly says ‘what the heck did I just see’.

 

You turn to look around, and dismiss most of the colors, except for cyan and green. After a little looking around for a bit, you find the culprit, and kneel down to pick it up.

 

A screw.

 

You hold it up, “This screw is what sent Gaster down there,” you say, pointing to the darkness.

 

“H-how?” Alphys asks, but as if she doesn’t want to know.

 

“It came loose, and brought down nearly all of the equipment up here,” you gesture around.

 

“He always h-had troubles remembering to ch-check up on equipment,” Alphys says, nodding.

 

“Ahem,” Frisk says, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently, “Let’s get back to the situation at hand; why did you bring us here?”

 

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” you say, and pull out your phone to check the time.

 

11:57 PM.

 

You change your green and cyan to yellow and purple, add red, and look at the gap. Getting the information you needed, you dismiss the colors, and step towards the gap.

 

“What are you doing?” Frisk asks you. You continue to walk towards the gap.

 

“I’m going to jump in when the Reset nearly happens and hope I don’t become scattered across the multiverse,” you bluntly and nonchalantly say.

 

“Like HECK you’re not!” he yells and grabs your arm, dragging you away.

 

You struggle against Frisk for a moment, then take out your phone.

 

11:59 PM.

 

“Sorry, Frisk, but I have to do this,” you say, then elbow him in his ribs, running towards the darkness, and check with your colored eyes. Yes, still able to make it in time.

 

You jump off of the edge.

 

“JOHN, NO!!!” you hear Frisk cry out, and feel something grab your shoe, but you twist your foot out of the grip.

 

It feels as if there is television static surrounding you, and you feel as if your Soul’s fragments are being pulled into every direction at once, and pulling apart from each other. The darkness is growing around you.

 

The Reset hits, and you finally feel your essence split apart into every direction possible.

 

You can’t feel your existence anymore.

 

* * *

  
  


Out of the darkness, a voice rings out.

 

“Y̴ou̧ ar͜e ̕tḩe̛ ho̧pe of̕ the ti̧melin̸es...̛ John̴!̴ Y̴o͏u h͜av͜e͘ ̛to͜ st̵ay̛ Det̨er̵m̵iņed!”

 

You open your eyes. Gaster in front of you, and looks shocked to see you in the Void.

 

“Hel̶lo, ̨Ga̢ste̢r̴,͡” you reply. Your voice has taken on the static-y effect of the Void. You quickly check yourself. Red and gold shirt, and you are instantly relieved; you don’t want to be like Core!Frisk.

 

“Brot̴h̨er, wh͠a҉t y͞o͜u̶'̕v̴e҉ ͏d͏on̴e̡ w̸a̛s͟ ̛too ri͝s̨ķy͟, no͢t t͡o͞ ͘m̨ention stu͏pid͝. ̧B̴u͡t, ̷y͢o̢ur timing͡ i͡s i̸mp̴ȩcc̸a҉bl͏e͜.͟ You̴ hav̢e̡ ̢been u̡nco̴ns͢c͜iou͢s for̴ ͟se̛v͢e͠r҉a̛l e̴tern̡it͢i̵es̶.͜” he says.

 

You grin, “Ni̴ce͝ to̢ ̵k҉n͟ow that t̴h͏e ̡w͞orl̛d͢ ͞h̵a͟s͏ b̕o͜t̨h mo͠ve͠d on ͠and͏ ̨sta͡yed ͘righ̕t̢ ͟whe҉re įt͠ was ͘s̸in͝c̵e I͜ ҉le͝ft.”

 

Gaster doesn’t even bother to roll his eyelights as he says “Th̡e ͝A̧u͢t͟ho͟r h͠a̢s ͞t͞ol͞d̴ m͢e ̕t̸h͢a͠t ̧th̡e t̛ime̸ ̵of̛ ̢my͢ ̴Sa̴vi̷n̷g͏ is͟ ex͢tr͞e̡m͘e̸ly̴ clo҉s̷e͟.͡ ͞They̵ also͢ ͠t̴ol҉d͢ m͝e͠ t͠ha̛t̡ y̴o̢u ͜wil͞l͢ ̡S̶av̷ȩ s̡om̧e̡ ̛ot͠ḩerş a̸s ҉wȩll?̴”

 

You shrug, “Węll͢, ͟I ͟did̷ ͟c̸om̕e ̧he̢r̷ę t̨o ̴S͘av͡e ąt̷ l̡e͢ast one̸ p҉e͏r͟s͠on. B͡u͢t͞.̛.͡. the͡ bo̵ok al͘s̨o͢ sa̛i҉d ̡th͝at ͝I ̧will pos͞s̵i̕b̸l҉y̕ Sav͞e ̡more pe͘o͜ple,” you pause to think, “Wait, ̴s͠o̶ ̡I ca͏n Save ̛mo̧r̸e th͏a͜n͞ j̢us̛t͞ y̕ou̴ and ͠Frisk?”

 

“J͏us͘t͡ as͏ you̶ s̡ai̕d, i̧f i̶t͜'s poss͢i̢b̡l͏e͡,̧ t̴h̴e͘n ̴D͝e͞t͘er̵minat͘i̛o͜n̴ c҉an͠ do͢ ͏i̷t̛.” he nods.

 

“W̵e͢l͞l, ͡f͏i̡rst ̢things ͜first,̕” you say, and you concentrate your determination into some things.

 

Some files appear out of nowhere.

 

Gaster’s sockets widen in amazement as you take the folder and start flipping through the files.

 

“T̸c͝h ͜t̸ch tch, w̶h̕ere ͘i̡s ͜it, w̨here̸ i͢s it.͜..̧ ͘Ah͟! ͏T̕he ̧first ̵t̶h͝ings Į n̶eed̸ f͏o̸r S̵a̡vin͠g!” you say, and hold out what you’ve found proudly in front of you.

 

System_Information_962 and System_Information_963.

 

“How̸ ̨di̸d̶ ̵you̶ ͜d̴o ͠tha̕t? ̶And͡ w̸hy d̸i̧d̨ you ͝need th̢ose ̷spec͏ifi͟c̢ things?” Gaster asks.

 

“I ̨w͡as a͏ ̢p͡rogr͞a̕mmer ̨be͞fo̕rȩ ̛yo̶u̡ ̵br̢oưg̢h̨t͘ ͘m̕e h̕erę.̶ ͞I̷.͏.. ͢I alşo p̶l̛aye͟d ̢a͜round͡ ͢w̕i̛th t̨h͝e̕ Game̸m̨a̵ke̕r p̸r̴o̴ģram for͠ ̢a̡ b͠it,” you explain, “S̕ǫ I ͜imag͢ine̶d t͠he̢ ̛Det̡er̵m̶ination͞ t̨o br̕i͝ng͟ ̡m̴e the̢ iņf̶o͠rm̛at͠io͏n I͞ ņeed̢ed̛.̴ ̕T̨hi̷s ҉ưnive҉rse̕ ̸a͞ls̢o̴ s̕h̴a͟rȩs ̕ma̕n͞y ͜t͡hi͝n͝g̕s̛ with thę game͡, ͠s̶o͟ ̨I j̢u͘st re̕crea͞ted̶ t͠hem̕.”

 

Gaster smiles, “I'̸d s̴ay ͠it͏ ̷w̸a̷s ͟m̴y bes͢t̢ ͝de͏cis͟i̢o͘n҉ ̧to̧ b̡ring ͝y͟o̵u here ̕r̕athe͟r ̵t̷h͏a҉n̛ ̵o͏ţh̛e͟r͜.͘.͘. ca͏ndi͢dates̛, ̵aft̢e͢r͟ al͟l.”

 

You hold out the files, “Yo͘u wa̷nt to̡ ͠d͢o the̡ ̵h̶onors?”

 

His smile grows wider, “W̶i҉t͞h̶ ͠pleas͜ure.”

 

A bone flies out of nowhere, striking the files, and the files snap in half.

 

“Fri͘sk͠ i̛s̶ ͟Saved̡. ̕Now,̢ let͏'s m͠o͞ve o͘nt̵o ̧s͏o̧meo͠n̢e̢ ̵e͞l̡s̛e͞, ͘be͜c̸au̸s̢e̸ af҉ter҉ ͡al͘l, ͠Save̡ ̴t͘he be̷s̡t҉ ͠for las̛t,͏” you smile endearingly.

 

“What about me?” a voice says from your left. You look at its source.

 

Chara.

 

“And,͝ ̸w̡h͘y̷ sh͜o͢uld w͘e͡ Sav̵e͏ yo͜u ͢of͝ ͜all ͞p̵eo͟pl̨e̕?” you lift an eyebrow, “Give ̡us̵ o͟ne̵ good͡ rea̢s͜o͏n͡ to͜ ̕S̶av͠e͢ ̡y͢ou.̨”

 

He smiles, “Because. While I have a lot of hatred towards humanity, my love towards Monsters is more. Enough for me to ‘play along’ to keep them happy.”

 

“T̕h̕en̕ why d̛i͟d yo̧u ̕e̸gg͠ oņ ̷F͢ri̢s͞k to ͏k͏ee̵p͝ killin̷g?̡ Al͟l ̛th͝o͠s͟e͜ M̧o̢ns̕ters̷ ̷t̵ur̴ned ͜to͢ ͞ḑu͏s̷t, j͞us̛t ͞to ͘erase ev͞e͜r͘y͞th̡ing?͟” you ask.

 

“In order to take care of humanity, I needed Frisk to become stronger, and the only way he could do that was by killing Monsters, who could not defend themselves from any human.”

 

You wave him off, “Y̷eah, I͟'l̶l ̷g̡et ͞ba̛ck͟ ͠to ͞you͏ ͡when ̸yo͟u'̢re͡ nǫt s͘o ̶fu͞l͠l of͏ ͟L͜OV̵E͜” and with that, you get back into the files, find Chara’s file, locate his LOVE, and change it to 1.

 

Chara looks as if he had the breath knocked out of him, “Wh-what did you just do?”

 

You smile, “I took͡ ̨a̸w̕ay͠ ̧a̕ļl ̡o͢f ̶yơur ̷LO͢V̢E.͢”

 

“No! That was my LOVE! I earned it!” he yells, then runs at you, throwing all of his weight against you…

 

… only to phase through you as if you weren’t there.

 

“I'm i̧n͟t͞ang̢ible here͡ ̡du̕e̢ to ͡th͞e ̢ci͠rc͟u͟m͘stances͝ lea̕d͜i҉ng ̧u҉p t҉o͘ th̡is n̶on҉-̵exi̧s̶tȩn͜t ̷m̛ome͢nt.͠ ͘A͜lso, ̴it̢ ͢do̶e̷ş ̵n͏ǫt͠ co͝unt ̡as ̡'̢h̶a͘rd-earņed' ͠įf ̵yo̧u w͏ere͟ a̡f̨f̕e҉cte҉d͜ b̛y it,̡ ͢uni̷ntent͟i̸ona͠lly fee̡d̨in͝g i͏nt̢o̢ y̕ou.”

 

“But my power! I am  _ nothing _ without it!”

 

“Y͘ou҉ a̸r̛e͟n͞'̨t͡ ̢n͞ot͠hin̕g w̡i҉th̨ y̵ou̴r̢ f͠a̡mily.͘”

 

“What?” Chara says, confused.

 

“Y͞ou͞ ar̷en͠'t nothi̸ng͟ w̡ith̛ ͏y̸o̧ur̵ ̡fa͡mily̛,” you repeat, “I s̴a̵w ̸it e̸v͜e̷ry d͏a͢y o̴ver̷ ̛thę ͝y̶ears̛ ̢I've l̶i̕ved̵ ͝d̴ow̵n̷ h͠e͏r͠e. T̡o̡r̶i̡e̷l ̛mi̸ss̸e͝s҉ ͠y̡ou͟. ̧A͘sg͡o̧r͠e ͝mis͝s̸es you͠.͡ E͏ve̕n ͟F̛lowey͢ m̶is͞se̷s you̸.̵ ͘To̡ ̢the̴ M̢oņsters, you̧ w̷eren't ju͜s͢t a͞ny o҉r̛di̷n̷ary hu̵m̛an͏; ̡yo͟u ͞w͘ere҉ ̵th͝eįr hum̡an.”

 

“But what about all other humans, huh? They all hate and lie and-”

 

“C͏h͠a͏ra̶,͟ g̡en̡e̴r̶ąlizi҉ng͏ ̛a͡n҉ ̵e͜n̸t̶i̵re ͡po̸pula͘c͢e̡ ba̵se̸d͡ ̛on̵ ̧a f͞ea̷r̛ or̷ i̵ns̵ign̡if͟i͢ca̶nt̢ frac͘t͏ioņ h͜a̷s n̵eve͞r w̡o̧r̨ķed ͟ou̴t ̵w̶e̸ll ͡for ͏any͞on̛e̴ ͠in ̴t͟he͏ long͟ r̶u̡n, ̧now ha͠s̷ it?̢ ̢T̴ake͜ a ͡lo͠ok̢ at ͟the ̴M̕o͠nst̵e͡rs̛;̴ most ̵o͝f t͡he͏m ̶at one̡ p̡oi҉ņt o͝r ҉anot̕her̸ ̧fe̴ar̴ed ev̵er҉y͢ ͝hum͡an. ͟Wh̛y͜?͟” you question.

 

“Because the humans defeated and locked them down there!” he spits out.

 

“Bec̕ause ̴a̵ rela̧t͝i͜v͢ely҉ ̵small̕ fr͘a̧c̨t̕i͏o͠n o͟f̶ huma͡ns҉ ͡f̡oug̶h҉t̸ ̢th̡e̢m ̢ou͘t o͢f҉ f̷ęar͞. Y͘o͟u d҉o̧ no̶t kn̴ow abo̷u̧t͠ ̢the ̨p͘op͟u̕l̕at͏i̕ons̶ ͢o̢utsįd͟e͟ of ͢t̢he̕ one̢s̷ who e̛ven͏ ̛k̛new ͢of̡ t҉h̛ȩ exis̛t̷e̷n͞ce ̵of Mons̵teŗs.”

 

Chara pauses to consider this for a moment, “Well... you do have a small point. But if you expect me to like  _ all _ of humanity at the press of a button-”

 

“I'͠m ̕no͝t̴ ̶ex͡p͠ec͘t͢in̸g̨ ̴yơu̸ ̸to͝ ͠like a̶ll̡ h̵u̢ma̶n̕s s̵u͏dd̶enly.̴ Jus̷t̶ g̷iv̷e th͟e͘m͠ ̨a cha͡n͠c̵e͘. And ̢if you͞ do̶n̷'͟t ̶l͠ik̛e ҉them, the͜n͝ it's ̷ok̨ay͝. ̛Just let go̵ ͢o҉f ̷suçh a̕ l͟arg͝e ̸gr̷ud̴ģe͜,̧ be̷c͘a͜u͢s͡e͟ ͢s͜uc̢h͢ th̵ing̕s͢ ̢a̕re̸ ͘detr͝i̢me͏n̷tal̷ i̷n ͡the ̧l͡ong ̸r͠u҉n,” you say.

 

He looks at you as if you were insane, “Even if what you said was true, then who would I even start with?”

 

“Yo̕u c̢ou͠l͏d ̡s̛t̵art ̸w̵i̛t̨h ̡me͟ and Fri҉s҉k.͜”

 

Silence.

 

“What? Why would  _ you _ be willing to give  _ me _ a chance? I’m just a human, you don’t know my motives!”

 

You smile, having turned him on the defensive, “Y̴o̶u're̸ ͠righ̡t̵ ̕ab͜o̡u̷t ̶t͘h҉at.͞ B̧ut h̢ere̢'̢s̕ ̨a͞ ̶q͘ue̕s͏ti͠o͞n: ͟d҉o̕ yo͜u t͘hink ͠t͘h̵at ̸ȩve͏n̛ ͠th̛e ͜wor͢s͜t̕ person c͢a̕n c҉h̛a̸ng̶e.̕.͏.̵ t҉h͜at eve͏ryo͠ne ͝c̶an͢ be͝ ͜a go͟o͞d p͏e͝ŗson,͘ i͢f͢ ͡th͢e͟y̢ ҉t̢r͢i͘ed̛?”

 

“Not everyone can be a good person! Some people are just evil, regardless!” he’s covering his ears.

 

“A̢re͘ you s͘ure ̵tha͘t҉ ͢they͡ ̷a̸re̵ al͢w̡ays evi͝l͜, oŗ h͞a͘ve̡ th͢e͞y ͡n͡e͢ver t͜ried̴ ͢h̵ar҉d͝ e̵no̸ug͜h̶ ̕to̡ bę b҉e̛t͟ter?̴ B̕ec͘a͢u̡se i̛t'͢s͟ e̶asy҉ ͞t͘o ̛f̶all͠ ͢i͞nto b͡ad habi̧t͘s ̡if ̛you ͏do͜n'̛t͜ tr͜y ͘h͟a̵ŗd͠ eņo҉u̵gh̵. It͠'s͘ ha̷rd,̶ but ̷p̵o̧s̨s̸i͢bl͢e͞.”

 

Chara is curled into a ball on the non-existent ground, “Why are you doing this? I don’t understand your motives! Just stop it!”

 

“My t͘erm͝s̕ ar͞e̷ s͜įmpl͏e; ̕g͢i͝ve s͘ome̛ hu̵m̵ans͝ a c͞hance, an҉d͏ ͠I'll̴ help you i͞n͡ an͞y way̧ I can͞,” you hold out a hand, to help him up, “I͘t҉'s̵ ̛alr̢i͏ģht ͠to m̨e̷ i͞f͏ I do͠n̶'t ͡k͝now your mo͜ti̶vat̢i͞ons, I̷ jus͝t̶ ̵wanţ ̡to̢ ͟let̢ you͠ g͘e͝t̕ ̵a͜ ͘s̸ec̸o̵n̷d ̢c͢ha̢n̨c͘e̛. Be̡sid̨e҉s,̡” you cock a shoulder, “p̵eopl͏e͏ like yo̕u don҉'̴t͏ ̨get m҉an͠y ͝şecǫn̕d̵ ̵c̷ha̛ņc͡es.̴”

 

Chara slightly shakes, “What did I do to deserve your kindness? I just don’t understand.”

 

“N̡o̸thįng̸,͜ I҉'m ͞ex̨t̛en҉d̶i̴n҉g͠ it ͝to͜ ͡yo̶u͡ on m̸y own͘ wis͝hęs. You don'͟t ̷get ̷t͢o ̸dec̴ide ͏wh̶o͘ ţo refuse ki̧ndnes̛s ̸fro҉m.̡.. ̕yo͏u̵ ̕ca͢n on͜ly deci̶de h͜o̷w ͡to͠ ̨pro̴cee҉ḑ fo͢rwa̸rd̴.̷”

 

“Please… just stop this…”

 

“Ţh̵e̷n tak̵e͝ my ̡han̡d͏,͡ ͝a̕n̨d le͜t̢'͘s p̛r͠oc͟eed̸ ͝f̵or̸wa̸rd.”

 

He looks at you to your hand a few times before coming to a decision.

 

“Fine,” he says, and takes your hand. You pull him up, “But don’t expect us to be all hunky-dory right off the bat.”

 

“Wa͞s̕n’t dr̕e͜am҉i̴ng o͜f̷ ͢it̡,͝ ̛p͡a͜l̕,͝” you say, and clap a hand to his back.

 

* * *

  
  


You feel like you should get a medal. You managed to talk down Chara. You expected there to be more pointy objects and Megalo Strike Back. But, like the infinite multiverse, there was a Chara, like yours, who could be talked down without them resorting to such methods.

 

“No҉w͢, sh҉ouldņ't҉ ͘w͡ȩ ̡be pro̡c͟e͟e̶d̡ing͜ ͞w͏it͏h̶ Sav̕in͢g any ̢others?” Gaster asks, and you nod, turning back to the folder.

 

“Right̷, j̡ust need͠ to do a͟ ̕f̴e̡w ̷t͠hi͏n҉gs͞ ͏f͢irs͡t, a͞nd..͟.̛” you move some things around, tinker with a few numbers, and add a few values, “the̕r҉e!̵”

 

A red Soul pops into existence. You grab the Soul and stuff it into your inventory.

 

“Hey! Why didn’t you give it to me first?” Chara asks.

 

“Bec̡au̵s̶e, ̡y͝ou ̕ar̵en͡'͢t ̨t̶r͢uly ̢h͠ere͘.͠ ̨I̡t w͞o҉u̡ld a͟c͝t as͠ if͟ ͟y̵ou w̵ȩren't ̸th͡e̶re, a͠n҉d b͠esįdes..͠.̷ I ̧br̛o̶u͡g͠h͞t you̶r ͘bod̵y ͟ba͜ck to̸ l̷ife, ͞mad͠e it back̴ in def̛aưl͜t c҉on̡dit̴i̵on͠,̴ and it̷'s ͡n̨ǫ lo͏ng͡er ͏d͘eçaye͞d. ̸I̸n̶ ͝o͢ther ͠w͞or͠ds.̶..” you pop your knuckles, “I͟ p̸la͡yed ̷a lit̕tl̕e͏ g͢od̡.͡”

 

“No one else should have that kind of power, much less a human,” Chara mutters under his breath.

 

You look at him, “W҉ho͝ s̢aid ͟I̕ w̴o̵uld t͟ry ̵k͏ȩeping ̧i̵t? Be͢ing̷ tha̧t ̸powerful̡ ͡woul̕d͘ ̧jus̶t g͘et͞ ̕b̛o͠r̵i҉n͝g, a͘n̷d I'd ̨mos͢t̸ ̛li͢k̛ely ̕pu̕t͞ it to ͢wast̷e, by҉ ̛n҉ot͝ ͏usi̵ng i͡t̡ ̷for ̢be̶t͢tęr̵ t͘hing̶s̶,” you proceed to continue looking through the folders.

 

“What are you doing now?” he asks.

 

“J͠ust a ̢sec̴.̸.̧. ̧g̛ot i͝ţ.͜ ͞Foun̨d͡ ̡w̸hat ̢I n͢eed̵e͟d͏,҉” you say, and proceed to tinker with the folder.

 

After about a minute of tinkering, a white Soul pops into existence. Chara widens his eyes in excitement.

 

“Is that who I think it is for?” he asks.

 

You nod, “I̢ţ's a̴ bl͟an̷k͡-̢sla̛te̕ ̨B̵o͟ss͘ ̢Mo̸nster͡ S̶oųl. Unti͡l ͢As̶ri͡el͘ ̛ąbs͏o͠rb̧s͏ it, ͠it͏ w̸i̡l̛l st͜a̴y͡ ̷s͘u҉r͜viv̷i̧ng in̛d̶ef̡in̷itely҉.̸ ̴It won'̛t͜ ͢f҉orcę hi͜m t̴o ̕b͡e t̛he ̢sa̛m͢e҉ ̶Asr̕i̕el a͝s͞ ͞y͏o̴u̢ ҉k̛new,̴ be͘ca͢use̕ a̵ll ̸th͜ose͞ ̢m̨e̶m͢or̢i҉es̛ o͠f̴ ̧k͝i̴l̕l҉in̵g ͜ev͟e̵r͢y̢on͜e̡ w͞o͜u̶ld̷ crush ̶him̛. ̴R͜at̢h҉e̸r̶, he͏'͡ll͡ h̷a͜ve̕ ͟to̢ dec̶i͏de how ͠to thi̛nk a͡b̢ou͘t th҉oşe ̕m͠em̕or͠ies̕ an̡d͡ ͜ho̕w ̡to d̴eal with ̕th҉e̸m̡.”

 

Chara shrugs, “Guess that would be for the best.”

 

You turn to Gaster after pocketing the Soul, “No̴w҉, s͞ho̢u̸ld͡ ͟I͝ g͟et your a͝s̴sis҉t̛anţs̕ ͡out ͡of̶ the ͜Voi҉d?”

 

He shakes his head sadly, “Th͝e o̕nl̶y ŗe͠as͠on͜ I şur̢v̴i͠ve҉d͘ w̛as b̨e͜ca̵use ̴skel͠eto̶n ͠M͡onsters ̧are̸ the ̨s̴t͞u̷r̷die͏s̸t͢ of͞ any non Bo̡s͏s Mơn͠st̕er, du͟e ͏to o̵ur hum͟an͝ ̛origins͞. T͡he ot͡he͘rs̕ fe̛ll ̧in҉ ͡bri̵e͢f̕ly ̴af̛t͞e̛r͟ me̕,͟ ͏bu͠t ̕b͠ęca̢us͡e ͟of ͢t҉heiŗ si͠mpler f̛orms,̕ ҉the̡y ͠ca̶n't ͞ret̶u҉rn͞ ̷to ̡t͘h̨e͡ world҉, ̛e͏ve͝n͏ wi҉t͡h̡ t̵h͡at̕ ̶fo̸lder.̛” he points at the folder, “I͏t wo̕u͘ld̕ be ̵ki̛nd̛er for ͡the͢m͜ ̛t͢o... c͜ȩa͜s̢e̢ ҉to b̶e̶, in͞ the͜ sen̕se̢ w͟e a̧re in ͏now̶.”

 

You tap around a few things, then finish, “The ͠de̷ed̶ i͟s ҉ḑo͢ne,͟” you somberly say, “N̛o̷w, ̨for ͞t̡he̛ seco͞n̛d͠-t̵o-̸last ͘t͟hi҉ng͘s̷ ͜t̕o do.͡”

 

You fiddle with the folder a few more times, and with a final tap, you’re done.

 

Instantly, you feel like you’re in one piece again, rather than both everywhere and nowhere. Gaster also appears to be complete again… or rather, as complete as he could be without redesigning his entire body. You lack the artistic skill to do that.

 

“Thank you,” he says, voice losing the static, “The Author told me that they were getting tired of using a Zalgo generator first.”

 

“It also feels good to be in one piece again,” you say, rolling your shoulders in their sockets, “And finally…” you set up a command that both removed the glitch from the Reset button and made a wooden gray door appear in front of you, “done!”

 

“You have done marvelously, John,” Gaster says.

 

“No, I just had a really dumb idea work out in the end due to lucky circumstances. And a boat load of Determination!” you say bashfully.

 

“It does not change the fact that you Saved as many people as you can in the process,” he says, gesturing to you, himself, Chara, and your pockets.

 

“Let’s just go, already. I want to go back to linear time,” you say, but gasp when you remember something, “Oh yeah. I made it so that the door will take us back into the current timeline, as early as possible, but we will end up in other places. I’ve made it so that you will appear back at our house, so that Sans and Papyrus will get to see you again in reality, while I’ll be going back to the beginning of the Ruins, to get Chara back to himself as soon as possible.”

 

“Again, marvelous, John.”

 

You and Gaster walk towards the door, and open it. It appears white inside. Chara awkwardly follows you.

 

“Well, see you two on the other side,” you say.

 

With that, you frisbee the folder away, and pull Chara into the bright light that was linear time.

 

The uncontrolled Resets are now done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the second to last chapter in the story, but don't worry! I've got a sequel planned out, because I had fun writing this, but I don't want to end it so soon
> 
> As for other things, the reason I came up with for the Reset button being glitched was that Frisk sort of 'inherited' John's Save File, which was already glitched in a way that he isn't technically supposed to exist in this universe. But it just transferred the 'glitchiness' to another part of the File, which happened to be the Reset button
> 
> Another thing I'd like to mention is what Gaster means about skeleton Monsters having human origins. It doesn't mean that all skeleton Monsters were at one point originally human, but it's because they are descended from human skeletons that have been magically resurrected, whether by human or Monster
> 
> Other than that, see you later!


	23. What Matters is the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wrap things up, and strive for the best ending you can have

You did not know when it happened, but sometime during the seemingly long, blank expanse to the timeline, Chara disappeared from your grip, as if he phased out of existence. You know he’s still technically with you, because his Soul is resonating with his presence.

 

When you are past the threshold of the timeline, you lose track of Gaster, but the more you walk, the more ‘defined’ you feel, as if you were getting more real every second. Also, the more you walk, the less blank your surroundings become, and slowly fills with color. You speculate that you are staying in the same place, but like you’re walking on a treadmill that always stays at your speed.

 

After an eternity and an instant, you feel a sharp force hit your back, and you instinctively look back after stumbling.

 

There’s nothing there.

 

You take a look around, and take a step in one direction.

 

The wall gets closer to you. Huh, looks like you officially exist again.

 

You brush the non-existent dust from yourself, then you walk into the first room. The first difference you see is that even with Frisk about to wake up from the Reset at any second, you can see Chara’s body right beside him, slowly breathing.

 

Frisk abruptly opens his eyes, which immediately lock onto you, and they widen in joy. He quickly gets up and tackles you in a hug, silent tears running his face.

 

“I thought I lost you,” Frisk whispers.

 

You rub his back calmingly, “I was too Determined to be lost. But now, we can finally move forward.”

 

You feel him stiffen, “Does that mean…?”

 

You nod, “Yes, the Resets are over.”

 

“Thanks. But DON’T do anything that dumb ever again, okay?”

 

You smile, “Shouldn’t make a promise I can’t keep.”

 

Frisk laughs, “Never doubt it, right?”

 

You roll over Frisk, then get up, brushing off the dirt from your shirt, then walk towards Chara’s body. The red Soul is starting to become frantic, as if it wants to get to the body as soon as possible. Frisk looks at the body, afraid.

 

“How’d that happen? His body wasn’t there in any other timeline. Oh gosh, what are you doing? What the HECK happened while you were away?” he says in a rush.

 

“Relax, Frisk… Chara and I had a little chat after I returned control of your Soul over to you. He did not like it at all, but I managed to talk him down,” you say, kneeling beside Chara’s body. The Soul has become extremely restless, so you take it out.

 

“You better be right about this,” Frisk says, hiding behind you and peeking around you.

 

You hold the Soul a foot above the body, then pull your hand from under it. The Soul floats down slowly, then enters the chest, slowly sinking in.

 

After a moment with bated breath, the eyelids flutter open, revealing eyes the color of chocolate. He looks around a bit, before looking at you and Frisk.

 

“Greetings, partners,” he says, then slowly gets up.

 

“Hello there, Chara,” you reply.

 

Frisk is still hiding behind you, “H-hi, Chara,” he stammers out, still nervous.

 

“Greetings, Frisk. I apologize that our first meeting was under… less than pleasing circumstances… but that butt over there,” he points to you, in which you just wave with a cheesy smile, “made me promise to give some humans a chance,” Chara sighs annoyedly, “starting with you and himself.”

 

You shrug, “Well, you have to start  _ somewhere _ ,” you say, “And as far as humans go, I’d say that we are the best ones to start with.”

 

He scoffs, “That’s because you are the ONLY ONES down here at this point.”

 

“My point exactly,” you say, smiling and winking.

 

“I’ll never understand you,” Chara grumbles.

 

“That would just make things less fun,” you playfully pout out, then put on a more serious face, “But onto a more serious note, we’ve got a family to reunite.”

 

* * *

  
  


You lead Frisk and Chara into the next room, and sure enough, Flowey is in his spot, though he is turned away from you.

 

He appears to have heard you approaching, because he says “If you plan on doing ONE more genocide, then I don’t care. I WILL kill you here and now, even if it means that I will have to kill you over and over.”

 

You smirk, “Didn’t think you had it in you to risk death to save everyone.”

 

Flowey quickly turns around to you, a sneer on his face, “And I thought you were the one to attempt saving the world. Also, WHERE WERE YOU LAST TIMELINE?!”

 

You smile, “Doing some things that you’d call me an idiot for.”

 

“Like what?” he cocks a brow.

 

“Trying to make a bunch of Flowey clones with the human Souls. I also fought Frisk, and then jumped into the CORE at the moment of the Reset,” you say nonchalantly.

 

Flowey’s eyes widen in surprise, “How the hell did you even  _ survive _ , with either Frisk or the CORE?”

 

Smiling, you say “I was too Determined to Save him; even about one-hundred stabs to my back couldn’t kill me.”

 

“How does that even WORK? But nevermind, onto the next one: how did you survive  _ falling into the CORE at the moment of the Reset _ ? And more importantly,  _ WHY _ ?” he says.

 

You shrug, “I don’t know how I was not scattered across the multiverse; maybe my Soul’s fragments didn’t have enough momentum to break out of the universe,” you put a finger to your chin, “Now that I think of it, there aren’t any fanfictions that I’ve read where it describes what it’s like to fall into the CORE,” you shake your head, “But I digress. You want to know the reason why, so I’ll give you a couple of reasons,” you take a breath, “Guys!”

 

Flowey looks perplexed at why you said that, but immediately stiffens and shakes when he sees Frisk walk in, “Oh, h-hi? U-um, sorry for repeatedly attempting to s-stop your genocide?”

 

“Relax, Flowey. He’s back to his regular old self again. You know, what everyone thinks of him in the beginning?” you say, then pat him on the stem.

 

“Then who’s the-” he begins, but immediately begins shaking again when he sees Chara walk in.

 

Chara stops in front of Flowey, looking down at him, “Greetings, Azzy.”

 

“H-howdy, Chara? I-it’s been so long s-since we saw each other?” he turns his face into Asriel’s, closing his eyes tightly, “I’m sorry I got us killed.”

 

“Relax, Asriel,” Chara starts. Neither you, Flowey, nor Frisk expected him to say that, “It is only the result of… excuse me, but you never told me your name.”

 

You shrug, “Never thought you’d care to learn, but it’s John.”

 

“Right. It was him who removed my control of Frisk’s Soul. But, in a bout of idiocy, he decided to show me mercy,” he continues.

 

“Really, John?” Flowey says.

 

“But after coming to an agreement, he decided to make me a new Soul,” Chara says.

 

“How? ...nevermind, I don’t care, but why does he get a Soul while I don’t?” Flowey whines, pouting.

 

You smile, “Oh, I didn’t forget about you,” you say, reaching into your pocket.

 

“What do you mean-” he begins, but looks at what you’re holding in awe.

 

You were holding out the Boss Monster Soul. You put it back into your pocket.

 

“You will get that once you have destroyed the Barrier. I’ve also made it a blank-slate, so that you’ll be able to decide on how to think of the memories you have made as a flower,” you explain.

 

After a few moments of silence, he breaks it with excitement and renewed vigor “Well? What are we waiting for? I’ll get Mom!” and burrows away, no doubtedly to get Toriel.

 

* * *

  
  


A few minutes pass, and you hear padded footsteps coming in your direction. You decided to be in the next room, to help Toriel.

 

“If this is another one of your tricks, then I will-” you hear her say, but she notices you.

 

You wave, “Hi, Mom. I decided to come back for something, and found two humans.”

 

Toriel looks torn between disappointment in you coming back without letting her know and relief that you found them first, “Well, then you shall take me to them. I may need to tend to injuries.”

 

You smile, “Don’t worry; the flower didn’t harm them. But… you may need to brace yourself.”

 

She nods slowly, “I see. Bring me to them, then.”

 

You stand up and walk into the previous room, Toriel following you. She first sees Frisk, “Ah, there you are, innocent one. Let me check you over,” she frowns, “No injuries, but where is this other human you were talking about?”

 

“He’s in the next room. He said he wanted to be alone for a few minutes, to think things over,” Frisk says, pointing to the first room.

 

You walk into the first room, and say “She’s here.”

 

“Okay,” Chara responds.

 

Toriel stiffens at the sound of his voice, but slowly walks into the room. When she sees him, she gasps and puts a hand over her mouth.

 

Chara turns around slowly, a genuine smile on his face, “Greetings, Mother.”

 

Toriel looks as if she’s about to faint from seeing a ghost, but manages to stand, “How? How is this possible? I w-watched you d-die.”

 

“I did die. And if it’s any consolation, I didn’t truly die until Asriel,” he holds in a wince, “turned to dust.”

 

“How do you mean?” Toriel asks, tears coming from her eyes.

 

You hear a familiar pop of a certain flower appearing, “Because apparently human Souls are still conscious for some time after bodily death.”

 

Toriel turns toward Flowey, eyes narrowing, “And how would you know that?”

 

“Because he’s technically Asriel,” you, Chara, and Frisk say simultaneously, with Flowey replacing ‘he’s’ with ‘I’m’.

 

Silence.

 

“I’m sorry, but it’s hard to believe that such a claim is true,” she says, shaking her head, “And I highly doubt you’d know,” she says to Frisk.

 

“His last words to you and D- Asgore were “I just want you to know that I didn’t fight back.””

 

Toriel’s eyes widen with revelation, “Asriel… how are you even alive?”

 

“I know that he should be the one, but I’ll just sum it up for you,” you begin, and she looks at you, “Pretty much his existence right now is an accident, from the Royal Scientist attempting to save a Fallen Monster’s Soul, like a human’s Soul after death. To do it, she needed a vessel to hold them. The only notable vessel was the first Golden Flower that grew, before you left. It happened to be where Asriel turned to dust, and the most amount of it as well.”

 

Toriel closes her eyes and nods slowly, “I see, but that does not explain how he is with us right now.”

 

“Well, she injected my flower with the stuff that keeps human Souls persisting after death, called Determination. I woke up in the the garden with all of my memories, but without my Soul. I remember how everything felt, but couldn’t feel anything. I don’t even feel ANYTHING right now,” Flowey says, slightly wilting at the last part.

 

Toriel is about to say something, but you cut in, “But I’ve got the solution to that,” and with that, you pull out the Soul.

 

Toriel’s eyes widen, “My child, why do you not give him the Soul right now?”

 

“Because it won’t work as long as he’s like this. In order to make him stay looking like how he used to, he’ll need at least the power of seven human Souls to get to even appear like himself first,” you explain.

 

Toriel looks at you sadly, “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that that is no longer possible, since you got… him, to change the rule.”

 

You smile, “Ever heard of six Souls plus the entire Underground? Frisk and I have watched him do it dozens of times.”

 

Toriel raises a brow in confusion, “What do you mean? He just arrived here…”

 

“That’s a thing about Determination; it can be used as a method of time travel,” Frisk cuts in. Toriel looks at him strangely, “We’ll explain on the way, because there’s a Barrier that needs to be destroyed.”

 

* * *

  
  


Once everything is explained (Flowey describing the awkward parts and what he did with his control), you are already at where Napstablook is. He’s lying on the ground as usual.

 

“Excuse me, Blooky?” you say to him, and he gets up, “May we pass through? It’s very important business.”

 

“Oh, it’s just you. Sure, you can come through,” he says, then fades out.

 

You turn around, “Guys, I’ve got to leave for a bit. Just to prepare some things.”

 

Everyone nods, but Flowey pops up next to you, “Can you take me with? I’ll need to explain some things to Alphys and Da- Asgore.”

 

You nod, “Okay, but I’ll need to stop at the brothers and Undyne first, just to make sure that everyone is doing fine.”

 

“Ugh, fine. But make it quick,” he says, then quickly uproots himself and crawls up to your shoulder.

 

You first go to the skelebros’ house. Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster are in a three person hug, and you can hear Flowey make fake retching noises next to your ear.

 

“Hello?” you say, and they break the hug, all smiling at you, “Just wanting to see how you’re doing.”

 

“kid, what you did was very stupid,” Sans says, still smiling.

 

“BUT, HE DID BRING BACK GASTER,” Papyrus states, “AND FOR THAT, WE ALL THANK YOU.”

 

“Great to know. Just so you know, Mom, Frisk, and even Prince Chara are gonna pass through in a few hours, so you should get ready,” you say.

 

“cool,” Sans says, giving you a thumbs up.

 

“See ya,” you say, then leave for where you know Undyne should be at this point in the timeline.

 

“Hey, punk!” Undyne yells at you, storming up to you, “Can you tell me what the HECK just happened last time?”

 

Oh yeah, she died with the fragment in hand, but that only means that she gets brief memories. Shrugging, you say “The Angel nearly fulfilled the bad half of the prophecy, but I stopped him.”

 

Her eye narrows in suspicion, and maybe a little amusement, “YOU fought that demon? And won? How in the world did you do that when I died, fighting?”

 

You smile, “I went up against him after he killed this one,” you jerk a thumb at Flowey, “I don’t think Alphys was holding her fragment at the time, so she doesn’t remember what I did. BUT, she does have a recording of the fight, so there’s that. Other than that, the Angel will be like the old timelines; nice and benevolent. He’s passed your Trial a bunch of times before due to uncontrollable circumstances, but I’ve fixed that as well.”

 

“You had better be right,” Undyne says, gritting her teeth in suppressed anger.

 

“By the way, he, Queen Toriel, and Prince Chara will be passing through soon, so I think the Trial should be passed,” you say.

 

“You’re joking with me, right?” she says, partially unconvinced.

 

“Nope. And you should write a letter to Alphys,” and with that, you glitch away to Alphys’ Lab.

 

Alphys rushes out of the True Lab, turns, and sees you, “O-oh, it’s just-” her eyes widen at the sight of Flowey and she starts cowering, “Eep! What i-is that thing doing w-with you?”

 

“Wow, that’s a nice way to greet your prince,” Flowey says sarcastically.

 

Alphys looks confused, “Wait, wh-what do you mean by ‘prince’?”

 

“I’m saying that you brought me, Asriel, back to life,” Flowey boredly says, rolling his eyes.

 

“What p-proof do y-you have?” Alphys says, looking nervous.

 

Flowey does the Asriel face, and nails the first recording with Asriel and Chara, complete with the voice, and that’s all it takes to convince her.

 

“Okay, you’ve g-got me. B-but how? Why are you u-unlike the others?” Alphys says.

 

“My flower had the most of his, or my, dust, and the Determination pretty much brought me back to life with no feeling,” you can already tell that he is already getting irritated at saying this.

 

“Onto other things, I think that you should let everyone go home. I had this elaborate plan to help push you towards that, but at this point we’re just wanting to break the Barrier as soon as possible. Six Souls plus the entire Underground and whatnot,” you wave off.

 

“B-but how d-do you know th-that everyone won’t hate me?” she stammers out, still nervous about that.

 

“Because, every time I’ve seen it, they’re more happy about the fact that they’re alive rather than how they look,” you say.

 

“The idiot’s right; everyone’s annoyingly happy in the end, regardless of the timing,” Flowey bluntly states, looking to the side.

 

“I-if you say so,” she turns to the True Lab, but seems to remember something, as she turns back to you, “By the w-way. I’ve d-done some calculations from th-the timeline notes, a-and coupled with the population of the U-Underground, there is a-actually more than enough Monsters t-to match the power of a h-human Soul. G-give or take roughly o-one hundred Monsters.”

 

“Wait, so you’re saying that I’ve been doing overkill all those times?!” Flowey shouts, but you brush him off.

 

“After you’ve done that, be expecting a love letter from Undyne,” you say, and Alphys begins blushing.

 

“What? From U-Undyne? Wh-why would she wr-write a… Oh my god, Undyne!” she says.

 

“Other than that, you should view the last throne room recording of last timeline. It might be a bit… murdery, but it would put any of the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie things to shame. It’s pretty much real life anime!” you exclaim, “And some last minute data testing we took before I left.”

 

“A-alright! I’ll do it,” she says, turning back to the elevator.

 

“We all believe in you!” you say, and Alphys appears to be standing a little straighter.

 

“Well, now to Dad,” you say, and in a blink, you’re in the throne room. Asgore is watering his flowers.

 

“Hi, Dad!” you say, and hear him turn around. He must have finished right when you said it.

 

“Ah, howdy, little one. What do you have for me today?” he asks.

 

“I’ve got the greatest news that the Underground has heard,” you proclaim.

 

“And what would that be?” Asgore asks.

 

“First of all, the Angel is here,” you say, and he nods, “Second of all… Mom is coming out of exile!”

 

It takes a moment for him to register what you mean by ‘Mom’, but then he starts smiling widely, “And which time would’ve this been?” he apparently remembers that you giving him an abridged version of timeline talks, and knows when to ask if it’s happened before.

 

“I don’t remember, because the Angel has had some troubles with his… ability, until what I did last time. As another result,” you smile widely, “I also found a way how to bring back Chara and Asriel.”

 

His expression turns to extreme surprise, “How? What did you do to find such a way?”

 

“Eh, the details are a little too complicated, but Chara is with them right now,” you say, then reach into your pocket, “And I’ve got Asriel with me right now,” you point your thumb to Flowey.

 

Asgore looks to you in confusion, so Flowey repeats Asriel’s last words to him, which convinces him.

 

“Now, in order to get him back to how he was, he’ll need the six Souls and most of the Underground to become godlike. Then he’ll break the Barrier. Once he releases the Souls,  I will give him this,” you take out the Soul, show it to Asgore, then put it away, “There are wins all around; You and Mom can at the very least become friends again, mostly from Sparing Frisk and helping me with my training, Frisk and I will get a new family, the Barrier will be destroyed, and Chara and Asriel will both be alive again.”

 

“Okay, but exactly how will he become godlike? It would take an enormous amount of power to take the Soul of a living Monster,” he says.

 

“Six human Souls worth of power, to be exact,” you say.

 

“Ah,” he looks to the side, then back to you, “Well, if that’s all, then I shall get everyone here at once,” and with that, he walks off.

 

Flowey gets off of your shoulder, and lands among the flowers.

 

“I’ll just be waiting here until you get everyone here. Make it quick,” he says, then dives beneath the ground.

 

* * *

  
  


You quickly get back to Toriel’s house, everyone packing essentials. You walk up to them.

 

“You know, Sans and I could give you all a lift to the throne room, just to be quick,” you say, leaning against the frame.

 

“That would be lovely, dear, but we just need to finish packing first,” Toriel says. Some filled boxes disappear in front of her. During all your time here, it appears that inventory magic is the only magic that humans can achieve by default when they fall into the Underground, and Toriel has undoubtedly used it.

 

You text Sans.

 

SAVEscummer: can you come to moms? everyone will need to get to the throne room quickly, and i dont want to burn out my soul again

skeleTONofjokes: sure, buddy. by the way, fluffybuns just called, and wants everyone at the barrier

ManWhoSpeaksInHands: I’ve received word that Alphys has let the Amalgamates go back to their families. I will be using the Memoryheads to help transport those who can’t make it there quickly.

SAVEscummer: alright

 

Sans immediately shortcuts next to you.

 

“I’ll take Frisk, you take Mom and Chara. Got it?” you say.

 

“sure, kiddo,” he turns to you, “gaster’s told us everything that you did. i’m actually quite impressed, but you’ve got to understand; it could take a while for me to even consider to forgive frisk for what he’s done the past three timelines.”

 

“Figured you’d say that,” you shrug, “Just try not to make it too awkward.”

 

“whatever,” he winks. He’s definitely going to make it as awkward for Frisk as possible just for laughs.

 

“Done!” Frisk and Chara yell in unison, with Toriel nodding approval.

 

You take Frisk’s shoulder, and glitch to the throne room.

 

Monsters are streaming into the Barrier room, some appearing in a ball of Void, others from the entrance of the throne room. You enter the Barrier room with Frisk, and Sans is walking in with Toriel and Chara, some Monsters looking at them as if they’d disappear at any moment.

 

Once the room is filled, Asgore holds up his hands to quiet everyone.

 

“Everyone,” everyone stops talking, and pays attention to him, “Please listen to me. I have asked you all to come here to tell you something very important.”

 

Everyone murmurs, wondering what he’s about to say.

 

“I’ve had you come to tell you that today shall be the day that the Barrier shall be destroyed.”

 

Dead silence. Either from surprise or disbelief, you can’t tell.

 

“And I need your help to do it!” Flowey’s voice rings throughout the room. Everyone is looking around, but you are staring at where he is on the platform, the six Souls circling around him, “The entire Underground equals one human Soul, but I can’t do it with only six. So, I will need all of you!”

 

He begins to take the Souls, and there is pandemonium. Everything goes white.

 

Asriel is now standing there, back turned to you. You look around, and see that the rest of the main cast Monsters are here, as you, Frisk, and Chara are there by default; Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Gaster, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore, and even Mettaton and strangely enough, Napstablook. You guess that he didn’t take their Souls, and can’t take the Soul of an unbound ghost.

 

Asriel turns around, and looks up, “Howdy, everyone!”

 

Asgore and Toriel are looking at him in amazement and slight disbelief.

 

Asriel smiles, “Well, Frisk and John have both seen this dozens of times, and I think that Chara would’ve been watching from Frisk, but I think that it’s time that the rest of you got to see what they’ve seen all these times.”

 

He concentrates, lifts off of the ground, then releases the power of the Souls, and you hear the crashing of the Barrier in the distance.

 

The Barrier has been destroyed, for the final time.

 

* * *

  
  


Asriel lowers to the ground, then turns to you, “Ready?”

 

You nod, then hold out the Soul. He cups it in his hands, and brings it to his chest, gasping as it enters his magically-made body.

 

“Yes, I’ve got a Soul again!” he whoops, but then has a face of confusion, “Huh?”

 

The Souls appear to fade into existence around Asriel, then move away from him, “What are they doing?”

 

The Souls shake, as if about to shatter. But then they begin to circle.

 

You know what they’re doing.

 

The Souls spin faster, then begin to converge.

 

“Everyone, get back. I know what they’re doing!” you yell. The others nod. Asriel walks over to Asgore and Toriel with curiosity written all over his face, “Just stand back and watch what happens!”

 

The Souls get to their fastest and closest, then shoot at you like a bullet.

 

You reopen your eyes immediately after the hit, and you find yourself back in the blank expanse of being outside of your driver’s seat. The children are standing around you.

 

“We just wanted to tell you...” the green boy begins.

 

“We are not ready to leave this world yet...” the orange boy continues.

 

“Because even though our time has passed...” the cyan girl says.

 

“There is so much the world has to offer…” the purple boy states.

 

“And we want to do it in any way possible…” the blue girl says.

 

“Even if it means riding backseat with you the entire way,” the yellow girl finishes.

 

You nod, then get up. The body you formed last time was still surrounding your Soul. You’re glad you don’t need to make it again.

 

“Also, let Asgore know that despite what he did to us… we forgive him for what he did,” the green boy says.

 

Nodding, you decide to just teleport up to where your Soul should be, for convenience. You position yourself in the indent.

 

You immediately snap to focus in the real world again, and find out that you’re on the ground, everyone surrounding you with varying expressions; Asgore and Toriel looking at you with concern, Asriel with wonder, Frisk and Chara with unamusement, Undyne with intense confusion, Alphys’ appears studying, the skelebros with curiosity, and you can’t tell what Mettaton or Napstablook’s are.

 

“My child, what just happened? The Souls just shot at you, then you just collapsed!” Toriel asks concerningly.

 

“They said that they aren’t ready to leave the world, and that they’re sticking with me,” you look at Asgore, “Also, they said that, despite what you’ve done to them, they forgive you.”

 

Asgore looks as if a small weight has been lifted from his shoulders, “Let them know… I thank them for that.”

 

You smile, “I’m pretty sure that they heard that.”

 

“Oh, my,” Mettaton says, pointing towards your chest. You look down.

 

Like last timeline, the Souls are circling around where your Soul should be in your chest.

 

“Okay. WHAT? Can someone please explain how HE got the Souls?” Undyne says, “I thought humans weren’t able to absorb other human Souls.”

 

“You’re right about that. But apparently it only applies for two things; human bodies, and the fact that I’m rather unique for a human,” you say, “You should watch the recording of my fight from last timeline. Like I said to Alphys; it puts any anime to shame. And if anyone tells you that anime isn’t real, then you should just show them the video!”

 

She looks instantly excited to watch it, but manages to pull it in before it gets out of hand. She then looks around, “Now, how do get out of this place?”

 

“We usually just wait until it dissolves, then we will wake up in the room outside,” Frisk explains. You and Chara nod.

 

Right after the explanation, the room conveniently dissolves.

 

You wake up next to Frisk and Chara, who are already stirring awake. You sit up and look around.

 

Everyone else who wasn’t absorbed were also on the ground, almost all woken up.

 

“No one but us will remember what went down,” Asriel explains to his parents, who just nod.

 

“Now, who wants to see a sunset?” you say, and everyone immediately gets upright, “Follow us!” and with that, you, Frisk, Chara, and Asriel lead the way out.

 

After adjusting your eyes to the sunlight, you watch the sun set, and it is thankfully one that doesn’t hurt your eyes. It feels weird to have this scene with Mettaton and Napstablook, as you’d never think to see it in-game.

 

Because you and Frisk were the most experienced with both humans and Monsters, you are offered becoming ambassadors, to which you both agree to.

 

“Did you know that you now have a Theme?” you hear Napstablook ask.

 

You listen a little more, and sure enough, you can hear music going on. It sounds like Megalovania in the style of Undertale.

 

“How?” you ask, having thought only Monsters could have Themes like that.

 

“There were rumors of before the war, that any human that has found their true purpose, they have Themes strong enough for anyone to listen to, depending on their mood,” Toriel explains, and Asgore nods to that.

 

“What would you like to name it, darling?” Mettaton asks, and you shrug, thinking about your time in the Underground.

 

Asgore and Toriel turn to you and Frisk, kneeling down.

 

“Boys,” Asgore begins, “you have helped our people in many ways.”

 

“So, Asgore and I have decided that, as soon as we get the chance, to adopt you,” Toriel finishes.

 

You and Frisk are sharing smiles, and beam at them, “Yes!” you both shout.

 

They both look happier, and mixed with Chara and Asriel, the entire family is smiling.

 

“Alright, little ones, let’s go down the mountain for the night. We’ll contact the humans tomorrow,” Toriel says, and you follow them down the mountain.

 

You started this journey with the most perplexing Soul seen, and through Determination, you managed to make it more normal looking. But, despite everything you’ve gone through, you are still yourself. So, you’ve come up with a name for your Theme.

 

What Matters is the Soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this story, folks! But don't worry, I've got a sequel planned. I will probably update it less frequently, so that I will have some time to think more about its plot
> 
> As for other things, I didn't want the Souls to disappear for good, but I feel like the Souls would've wanted to stay living in some way shape or form. As for why they did the same thing as at the end of the previous timeline, I'd say that John's Determination rubbed off on them, resulting in them remembering that specific event. I'd also like to think that the Souls have been like that long enough to have long since have stopped holding a grudge
> 
> Another small thing I'd like to mention is how uncharacteristically willing Flowey is in this timeline to reveal to the main cast that he is Asriel. The reason being... I don't know, a little Flowey redemption before he becomes Asriel again? Don't ask me, as even I hardly can tell what I was thinking when I wrote that
> 
> Lastly, John's out-of-battle Theme. I'd say that it's named after the story because of John's unique Soul, in which his Fight Theme is Megalovania, which comes from the Soul, along with the fact that it has Undertale as a leitmotif, so it would only be fitting to name it after the story. Also, in John's mind, he's thinking (and by extension, me) that he is still who he started out as, plus with thinking along the lines of that a human's Soul contains everything a person is, then, in the end, what the only thing that matters is what is in their Soul, rather than how it is
> 
> See you later, and hopefully in the sequel


End file.
